


Deceit || Choi San

by christaenity



Category: ATEEZ (Band)
Genre: Action, Bandit!Au, Death, F/M, Love, Romance, fight, mingi being an ass
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-09
Updated: 2019-07-09
Packaged: 2020-06-25 01:59:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 18
Words: 27,030
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19736056
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/christaenity/pseuds/christaenity
Summary: "when you dance with the devil, thedevil doesn't change. it changes you"Reader is thrown into a dangerous life with 8 bandits





	1. Intro

The saloon is loud and rowdy , old man James who'd drink hisself to sleep after his fifth glass of whiskey as usual, man who sits at the edge of the bar named Rob quietly chatting to himself. The collar around your neck grows itchy and every few minutes you find yourself scratching at it, feeling the sweat roll down the back of your neck and on your forehead. The heat is almost unbearable and you'd rather be at your small house drinking the cold water that you know your mother harbors. But, you have no choice but to be here as it was the only way to pay off your debts that your father had managed to uphold.

Your father used to be the nicest man you'd known, his smile always made you feel better when you were a little girl even during your dark times back in the south and you wish that some day he'd go back to being that same man.

"Y/n! Are you in the clouds or what?" A hand smacks down in front of you and you nearly jump 5ft into the air, bringing your hand to your chest as your heart beats fast," I think Rob wants another drink." Your bar mate , Annabeth, laughs out and claps her hand on your back to which you roll your eyes at.

"Huh, yea okay right on it," You mumble and push a stray lock of hair behind your ear and turn your head to look at your bar mate. Her hair is in a long braid pulled back from face , her makeup neatly done, her lips tainted red. She was always the most favored one in the town, all the men giving her extra cents and for any woman here you expected her to grow an attitude towards you but she hadn't. In fact, she was the only one nice to you in the saloon, the only one who knows all of your secrets.

"Well hurry up, I've never seen him get impatient before, best to not see it now." She winks and you smile and nod, walking round back and grabbing a glass from the top counter above the drinks. You briskly grab the bottle and the glass before walking back to the counter and towards Rob. The floorboards creak beneath your lace up shoes and your skirt flares.

"Here ya go Rob, the regular," You greet him with a small to which he just nods and motions for you to hand him his drink, his face twisted into a bland look as his eyes hold a sense of worry. A frown finds its way onto your lips as you poor the whiskey into his glass, sliding it over to him as he digs a hand into his pocket before slamming down a few cents.

"Somethin' wrong?" You ask timidly, his mannerisms worrying you as he was never like this. Maybe his father had passed away or his mother had left like he had said she would before but if either of those scenarios happened, you would know as the town would know first thing. Everyone knows everyone here and it was as if the birds could talk because you could never keep anything to yourself, not even when Lady Margaret was found in a bed with a man who wasn't her husband outside of town.

Rob shakes his head in reply and grabs the glass before tilting his head back and chugging it down in one gulp. The bar continues to buzz as the men in the back corner gamble on, their angry curses filling the air as each one of them lose. But, your attention is on Rob, wanting to know what was wrong. Your curiosity always got the best of you, you knew that but you couldn't help but be worried for someone who always manages to ask how your day is with a couple extra cents added in. You reach an arm over the counter and place it on his shoulder, squeezing it slightly making him look up at you with the same blank look.

"I'm fine, ya hear me? Don't start worrying about me," He says, all-overish and silently as if he were keeping something to himself. You nod your head hesitantly wanting to press on but you don't want to make him angry so you just smile and take the bottle of whiskey, pour him an extra glass and walk to the back. For a moment , everything seems normal , the yelling , the cursing , the threats of others' lives and the occasional sound of someone being thrown out , but suddenly the batwing doors are swung open and a gust of hot air rushes in.

You raise your eyebrows in shock and confusion and round your head around the corner only to see an unfamiliar face. His hair tinted red and black, you can't see his face but by the way his jawline is shaped and the way his body is molded, you can tell he's handsome. He walks with air of confidence and slides himself in the seat next to old man James who awakens as if he felt his presence. He rubs his nose and grunts, cracking his back but the mysterious man only chuckles and taps the counter.

"One glass of Kansas Sheep Dip, please," He says and you start to wonder if you were starting become crazier than run over coon because his voice sends shivers down your spine. His voice isn't like the voice of others, like he's been smoking cigars since he was just a little boy. No, his voice is smooth and clear and full of confidence. The saloon drops into silence, so silent that you could hear Annabeth clear her throat.

"What would you like?" She asks in a sultry voice and you peek your head enough to the right to see the man nod towards your direction making you widen your eyes to the size of saucers.

"Some old whiskey, if you have that?" He teases in cocky tone making what sounds like old man James scoff sarcastically under his breath. Whoever this man is , no one seems to like him and you don't know if it's because he's a newcomer or if his attitude was enough to make them want to bring him out to the street.

"Alright, sure sweetheart." You hear Annabeth say, she swivels around and snaps her fingers at you. Hurry up and make the drink for the handsome man. You nod quickly and stumble around to grab a glass and a bottle before making your way to the counter , your eyes casted down almost making yourself trip over your own skirt. You stumble and flail forwards to the counter almost dropping the items in your hand. Annabeth sighs but your cheeks don't warm up from her reaction , it flares like the sun has been beating on your for an hour. The man lets out a laugh and taps the counter again.

"Don't hurt yourself, darling." Gosh you wish you could find some way to fling yourself into the sun or better yet , into the badlands. Yea, I'm definitely crazier than a run over coon. You sigh and place the glass on the table , pouring the drink. Your hands tremble and you have no idea why but what you do know is all you want to do is run behind the back. How can a man have such an affect on you and you've never once met him before this moment?

"What's your name?" Annabeth questions in a suggestive tone leaning against the bar with a smirk. The man swallows his last sip of the glass and places it down, leaning forward but he doesn't meet her eyes , he meets yours. For a moment it's as if you could see everything in his eyes and the danger they hold. More sweat rolls down the back of your neck and the air gets even more heated but you pay no mind , only looking at the mysterious man.

He licks his lips and opens his mouth,"It's San."


	2. Chapter One

  1. The cottage is silent and tranquil except for your mother's soft snoring on the bed next to yours but you continue to stare up at the ceiling, your thoughts running too wild for you to even try to sleep. It's always when the sun falls that all of your unwanted thoughts come back disrupting your sleep. But the main thought that sticks in your mind is the new guy, San. Where had he came from? He doesn't look like he's from around here and you're curious to find out where he's from. He had a certain vibe to him that you've never felt before , but you know better than to try and get to know him. For all you know , he could be some kind of bandit. 



A sigh leaves past your lips and you turn your body to the side , staring at your mother's sleeping form. Once you had gotten home she was passed out on the bed , coughing her lungs out to which you had to wake her up , give her water and herbs before putting her back to sleep. It was always like that ; go to work , come back home , take care of your mother and sleep. You always wonder about what it would've been like if your father stayed and if he would be the one going to work and you staying home with your mother.

"I need to sleep," You murmur to yourself and close your eyes, slowing falling into a deep sleep.

━━━━

"You're late." The saloon owner , your boss growls as soon as you step foot into the saloon, his face holding anger. It's not as crowded as it was the day before and only the usual customers are there but what's odd is that Rob is nowhere to be found , his seat taken over by someone else. You furrow your eyebrows and look down.

"Sorry boss, I was making sure my mother-"

"I don't give a damn about your sick mommy, get to work," He cuts you off , his tone clipped and then he walks around the back and to his office. Your breath hitches and for a moment you feel embarrassment as the eyes of the customers land on you from hearing the conversation but you just sigh and walk around the counter.

Annabeth is sitting on a stool next to the drinks , her elbow propped up on the counter and her eyes are closed , her breathing slow and steady. A grin pulls at your lips and walk slowly over towards her sleeping figure , reaching your hand out and then leap forward, slapping her shoulder.

She jumps and almost falls off the stool but grabs ahold of the counter.

"The hell is the matter with you?" She glares at you and dusts herself off , but you only laugh and shake your head.

"You know you're not supposed sleep on the job, silly," You say in a whisper- like voice,"What if boss saw you?" Her and I both knew that boss, Mr. Rick, hated us slacking off even if there was no business. He called it "unprofessional" and he wouldn't hesitate punishing us if we were to go against his rules. If he were mad enough , he'd even stop us from eating while on shift. You wanted so desperately to leave but you have a mother to take care of, if it wasn't you doing it then who would? Annabeth maybe , but she had her own family to worry about.

"Whatever," She replies and waves her hand dismissively before getting off the stool,"Mr. Rick says we have a special guest coming today, I want to make sure I get my very best sleep before they do." Special guest ? It couldn't be the man from yesterday, could it? Annabeth notices your confused expression and shrugs.

"Probably some old man with a glass eye, I wouldn't worry about it." At that you laugh and nod along with her, of course it couldn't have been the man from yesterday , he's probably long gone by now. You grab the stool under the counter and begin to sit but a yell across the room startles you.

"Hey dollie , another glass yea?" Old man James raises his empty glass up, seated in the far back. From the looks of it he's already drunk but you don't dare refuse and nod with a smile , getting up and grabbing the bottle of whiskey before walking around the counter.

Old man James laughs excitedly and raises his glass higher as you reach the table , placing the bottle on the table and nod to to his.

"You mind?" You say playfully and he smiles before putting the glass down and watches you pour the drink in before handing it to him. He takes a large sip and then wipes his mouth before pointing a finger at you.

"How's your mother doin?" Your eyebrows shoot up in shock and confusion , no one ever wonders how your mother's health is doing , no one ever usually cares.

"She's doing alright, her coughing seems to be gettin worse , though," You respond softly. Old man James nods sympathetically and places his free hand on yours making you jump slightly.

"Hope she gets better soon, dollie," He says and then takes his hand away, you smile and thank him and smile before turning away. Now you're extremely confused and shocked, since when had Old man James cared about your mother? Maybe he was just being nice and at that you smile even more, grateful that he even said anything.

You start to walk back to the counter when the batwing doors open and in come a new face and the man from yesterday. _He's back again?_ You freeze and stare as they walk to the counter and take a seat , speaking amongst each other. The new man looks short and petite yet he holds an immense power, his hair brown and pushed back. His coat is bright red which stands out among all of the dark colors in here. He must be San's friend. But why would he bring a friend knowing he's already disliked around here? You watch as they call over Annabeth who looks shocked and speechless but walks over to them regardless, smiling and leaning over.

The brown haired man whispers something to her to which she widens her eyes but then quickly turns around and runs to the back where Mr. Rick's office is. You take this moment to walk over to the counter , your head down as you pass them up. You can feel their eyes on you but you don't pay attention and go to the back.

"Your guest is here, Mr. Rick," Annabeth says softly making the said man curse and jump up from his chair , scurrying around the desk and pushing past both of you. He hurries down the short corridor and you see as he greets the two men, his laugh haughty and loud.

"Didn't think the new guy would be one of his guests," Annabeth mumbles and you nod your head slowly , still watching the men laugh and talk. Mr. Rick says something quietly to the nameless man before turning around to stare at Annabeth and you.

"Y/n! get these two men some drinks now will ya!" He shouts making you flinch but you quickly walk over to the drinks anyways, their stares making you feel nervous and anxious for some reason. You take your time grabbing the glasses and the bottle, listening to their conversation.

"We didn't come here for drinks , Rick," A voice says to which you guess comes from the nameless man.

"Yes , yes but let's not discuss that now, let's have a drink before, yea?" Rick says quietly as if he doesn't want anyone to hear what they are speaking about. You pour the drinks and place them on a tray before carefully balancing it , but as you turn around your foot gets caught on something and you fly forwards, the tray falling from your grasp and crashing on to the floor. Fear courses through your veins as you hear Mr. Rick curse violently before moving and grabbing your arm harshly, pulling you up.

"You worthless little girl!" He says, your eyes casted down as tears form in your eyes from fear and embarrassment as you can feel literally everyone's eyes on you.

"Pick it up! And if you bleed all over my floor , you'll get something worse!" He pushes you down and your hands tremble , reaching forward. The tears that were formed fall down , dripping down your chin and on to the floor.

"Stop, she doesn't have to pick anything up," A voice says and you recognize it to be San's. You glance up slightly to meet his stare but you cast them back down. You can hear Mr. Rick grunt and laugh.

"I own her, excuse me for saying this but I don't think you have a say in this matter," He says but San only chuckles.

"What if I buy her from you?" _What?!_ At this you look up and gasp , staring at San with a bewildered look. Buy you? Sure , it was possible that he could but you've never seen a girl be sold off before.

"I'm sorry young man, but I doubt you have enough silver to buy her off."

"How much do you want for her?" You feel Annabeth place a hand on your back , her hand trembling slightly. You start to think about what would happen if San buys you off. You'd have to leave your mother , you'd have to leave Annabeth. Who's going to take care of your poor mother? _Please don't._

"10 silvers." _Please don't. Please don't._

"Deal."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading ! Make sure to comment :D


	3. Chapter Two

It seems like a cloud of silence falls over the group, your heart feeling as if it completely stopped beating. Tears sting at the corner of your eyes but you don't dare let them fall, too afraid to show them. You were going to leave your mother, your best friend , because of this man. Sure, working for Mr. Rick is horrible, tiring but you never actually thought about leaving. You could never leave, not without your mother.

Annabeth curls her arms around you, trembling slightly. Mr. Rick's face holds shock, his eyes wide and he looks like a blubber fish. No one has ever offered to buy one of his girls, not even high paying men.

"Look young man, I don't think you know what you're getting yourself into," Mr. Rick begins to speak, waving his hands about,"You see how clumsy she is." Was that what he was trying to do? Spit insults about you in order to change San's mind. But , San's face only confronts into annoyance, his eyebrows furrowed. The man next to him doesn't even speak, his eyes transfixed on Mr. Rick as his expression is blank.

"You can say all the nonsense you want , old man, we made a deal and it's done," San speaks and then a sudden smirk curls on lips," Unless I can take myself to town now and-"

"No, that won't be needed!" Mr. Rick spits out and clenches his fist before turning towards you. He jabs a finger at you and motions you to stand.

"You heard him, get on up." Your breath hitches and Annabeth's hold on you tightens. This was it, you were being sold to a man who you know nothing about and for all you know , as soon as you guys step outside of town he'll leave you alone or worse , kill you. Your thoughts are jumbled and your mind spins, you don't dare let let any of your tears fall.

So, you stumble up and cast your head down, now too afraid to even look up now. Annabeth still stands behind you but reluctantly took her arms away.

"Pack your things, we leave at sunset," San speaks and then pushes himself up off the stool, the man next to him doing the same but still has his eyes locked on Mr. Rick.

_Sunset_. You don't know the time for sure but by the way you see some of the customers leave, you can tell it's not long from now. You only have until sunset to say goodbye to your sick mother, you only have until sunset to say goodbye to Annabeth. You want to speak out and tell San to lay the deal off , that you don't want to leave and that you can't , but he doesn't seem like the type to go back on his word.

"We'll be back , take this as a warning," The man that's with San finally speaks up, his voice calm,"If you don't have it next time, we _will_ kill you."

Kill? And what is it that Mr. Rick owes them? Now you stand in silence and confusion, your head spinning and your breath caught in your throat. You need to get back to your mother and tell her your goodbyes, tell her that you love her and that you always will. You turn your head to Mr. Rick and open your mouth but he scoffs and waves his hand.

"Get outta here, you ain't mine anymore," He says gruffly and with that he walks around the back to his office, slamming the door. The action makes customers stop , completely silent and now staring in your direction. For some reason more tears form at your eyes but this time you allow them to fall, sliding down your cheeks and over your chin. You feel weak , vulnerable but you shakily sigh and turn around to face Annabeth who's expression is the same as yours but when she meets your eyes she forces a smile.

"Ya finally got your escape, I'm sure you'll have a good life," She says and reaches forward, grabbing you and pulling you into her,"I'm glad."

A whimper leaves past your lips as you bury your head in her shoulder, your heart clenching. You want to stay but you know you can't , so you squeeze Annabeth and then pull away.

"I'm gonna go and see about mother," You say in a hushed voice and Annabeth nods in understanding with a smile , pushing you jokingly.

"See you." And with that you walk around the counter and to the doors, looking back at Annabeth one more time before stepping out into the heat. Every step you take makes your heart clench even more, your shoulders sagging. You're not ready to say goodbye to your mother, you're not ready to leave her , not knowing if she'll survive. But you can't do anything about the situation. Then, as if someone struck you on the head, a thought crosses your mind. You smile and hurry to your home, starting to run.

_Maybe you could take your mother with you_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!


	4. Chapter Three

The walk back to your cottage is agonizingly slow, the feeling of dread dragging you down. The sun is almost set and you know you don't have much time so you walk quickly down the dirt path , the small cottage coming in sight. You push the door open and immediately your eyes land on your mother who sits upright on her favorite chair, her hair cascading down her back as she sips from a cup. She notices your presence and looks up with a a smile before placing her cup down next to her and opening her arms out for you.

"Mother.." Your voice is low and almost like a whisper as you accept her hug and sit down beside her, tears unknowingly forming at the corners of your eyes. Your mother notices and brushes a piece of hair behind your ear, worry etched onto her face.

"What's wrong? Mr. Rick talked you down again?" She asks and holds you close to her, her presence warm and comfortable and you don't know how you're going to be able to leave her. Your lips are pursed and you struggle to keep your tears at bay but with the way she looks at you, a dam breaks and your tears fall.

"A man, the one from yesterday, he bought me, mother," You say quietly,"Mother I don't want to leave you." Now tears are fully falling down your face and you try to wipe them away but your mother grabs your hands and squeezes them , a smile on her face. _Why is she smiling ? She wants me to leave?_ Confusion settles on you and you open your mouth to question her but she shushes you, shaking her head as her smiles grows even more.

"You can finally get away from here, Y/n," She says warmly and squeezes your hands even tighter but you're still confused,"Anywhere is better than here." You freeze with widened eyes as you stare at her, she can't be serious , can she ?

"Mother...who will take care of you?" You watch as she shakes her head once again and chuckles.

"I can manage, if it means you having a better life than this, then I will be fine." Your mother was always supportive and always knew what to say, always knew how to comfort you. Her smile always kind , inviting and warm , her arms always open for you.

"I don't want to go."

"You know, when I met your father I did not want to leave my family behind either," Your mother says and tilts her head to the side,"But I did and I'm glad I did, because now I have you."

"Are you saying I'm going to marry him and have a child?" You gape at your mother and she throws her head back with a laugh, clapping her hand on your back. You can't help but smile at her, feeling just a bit better.

"No, I'm saying that this could be a new start," She replies softly and grabs your hand. You can hear the birds chirping outside, the sun slowly setting and you don't know when San will come to your door and take you away. But then your brought back to the idea you had on your way home and perk up, though you don't know the possibilities.

"Mother, what if I could bring you along with me?" You question and watch her face carefully, disappointed when you see a frown curl on her lips.

"He bought you, not me," Your mother replies,"This chance is for you not-"

A sharp knock at the door interrupts her, your heart stopping. _The sun went down_. You don't want to answer the door , you don't want to get up but who knows what will happen if you don't. He could easily shoot down the door. You glance back at your mother but she just smiles though you can see tears well up in her eyes.

"Go." She says and you stand, stumbling the door and open it to see San. His face is emotionless and his outfit changed , now decked in all black with a red bandana hanging from his pocket. He perks an eyebrow up and you know it's a signal for you to get going.

"Did you even pack?" He speaks, his voice tinged in slight annoyance and something else that makes you wince, your cheeks flaring. You hadn't even realized that you didn't pack, but you didn't have much of anything to pack anyways.

"I..I don't have anything....," Your voice trails off as you cast your eyes to the ground. You've never felt so small and embarrassed in your life. San looked like he had enough money to manage himself well while you stood there with nothing in your possession , standing in a small run down cottage.

"I understand. I hope you said your goodbyes, we need to leave," San replies in a rushed voice, grabbing your shoulder softly and moves aside, pushing you softly, eyes glancing behind you towards your mother. She still sits , tears now falling down her face. You don't dare look back knowing that if you did more tears would come and you'd run back inside to her. So instead you walk out and close your eyes, your head hanging low.

You don't hear San exchanging words with your mother before the door shuts. He pats your shoulder and you flinch but you nod and follow after him, not before glancing back one last time at the cottage.

"I'm sorry." You widen your eyes and quickly turn to San but he isn't looking at you , his eyes ahead as he continues to walk in a fast pace. But you don't bother to respond and just follow him towards your new life, and away from your old one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!!!!


	5. Chapter Four

San hadn't said a word to you after you guys left your cottage, your home, your only friend and your town. The man that accompanied him wasn't there with you and you were confused and curious as to where he was. It's dark out and the stars continue to wave at you, the air quiet and the only sounds heard are the steps of the horses. San is in front of you, his back straight and his shoulders tense. You don't know where you're going and you're too afraid to speak , afraid to annoy him. He didn't seem in the mood for anything when he came to your home and took you , _why did he even buy me if he doesn't seem to want me?_ You stopped crying long ago, remembering the words that your mother told you, this is a new start for you and who knows what will happen.

A sigh leaves past your lips as you both continue on through the dirt , no one around. Not even a single coyote is in sight and that frightens you to the bone. Where exactly were you guys going? You've never been out of your town so everything looks so new to you even if it's just plain dirt and cacti.

"We're almost there." San's voice is clipped and monotone and for some reason you're unable to reply and nod , knowing that he can't see you. _Where is "there"? Maybe it's a stupid whorehouse to sell you off to._ At that thought a spark of fear shocks in your heart and you're tempted to just turn the horse you're on around and flee but you know that he'd catch you one way or another. So you just somewhat accept your fate and anticipate what's to come, your head now spinning and your hands trembling.

You look over San's shoulder and spot a small speck of black, you don't know what it is and it's too far away for you to make it out. But as you both edge closer you can finally see it and the fear in you peaks to the highest point. There, your eyes can spot a small house, larger than the cottage you were staying in but still small. Horses are tied in the front and no one seems to be outside except for one person, his head down and his body slumped over. _I-Is is that man dead?_

As you guys are finally feet away from the house, San whistles and the horses stop, you clench your fists tight against the rein, your knuckles ghost white. The male in front of you gets off the horse and you take that as a hint to get off as well, but having no experience with horses, you don't exactly know how to get off. You release a shaky breath and swing your leg over searching for the ground but you're sorely mistaken and you find yourself slipping when a pair of hands grab your waist and pulls you off.

"Have you never been on a damn horse before?" San's voice speaks into your ear. He's so close to you that you can feel his breath on your face, your neck warming up.

"N-No I haven't," You murmur but San doesn't reply and just hums, letting you go and you're too embarrassed to turn around. _I almost fell in front of him, how stupid and humiliating._

"Come on, let's get inside. It won't be long until some coyotes decide they're hungry." At the word "coyotes" you jump and scramble behind San who doesn't even blink at you and instead turns around and steps towards the house, the man on the porch still slumped over in his chair. The house is made of wood, the windows tinted and the door sprayed with what looks like dried up red substance. _Please don't tell me that's..._

"Wooyoung ! Wake up, stop sleeping outside you dumbass." San hits the said man on the head making him jerk awake, his eyes wide and his lips pulled into a frown before he sees who woke him up.

"Hey, you're finally back!" Wooyoung exclaims and shoots up from his seat before his eyes land on you and all excitement and happiness drops from his face. They're going to kill me. His eyes squint and for a moment , the air is so quiet and tense you could slice a knife through it. Something flashes in his eyes, something you can't decrypt but before you can think about it a smile slowly creeps on his lips before he's full out smiling.

"Is this your lover, San- _ie_?" He jokes and looks towards San who doesn't say anything but rolls his eyes and ignores his comment, turning to you.

"Let's go inside," His voice is yet again emotionless and bland, nothing like it was back in the saloon. He was what you'd call witty and playful but now it's like he flipped a switch in his brain, all playfulness gone. You don't know what to make of his mood change but you don't want to get on his bad side so you follow after him.

Wooyoung laughs and steps beside you, his arm suddenly wrapping around your shoulder making you gasp and jump but he doesn't budge.

He leans to your ear and whispers,"So is San-ie your lover or...because he could really use some company."

"Can you please step away from her," San says and this time a tint of aggravation is there, his fists clenched. You tense up but Wooyoung seems unbothered and laughs, the sound making you jump yet again. He takes his arm away and walks to San who continues to stare at Wooyoung, a warning evident in his face. They share a look before San turns to you and jerks his head.

"Come on." You nod once again and quickly walk behind him , his hand reaching towards the doorknob as the door creaks open. You can feel anxiety creeping up on you, fear hitting you in every direction not knowing what's going to happen once you step through that door. Maybe there's going to be other girls , or dead bodies or even both. But when you all step inside you're surprised to only see 3 men, one sleeping on a small couch, his long legs falling over the end. The other 2 are sitting across from him, both of them reading a book but they look up as they hear the door open.

"Oh, San you're—" The first man with blonde hair stops as his gaze lands on your figure, his eyebrows furrowed and his eyes wide in confusion. _He's handsome_. He looks back and forth between you and San before stopping his glance on San.

"Who's this?" His voice is quieter this time as if he were sharing a secret. The man next to him perks up and looks up to the 3 of you, his eyes also landing on yours but he doesn't hold any emotion. His face is void of emotion, so good that you can't tell if he's angered. His eyes are intense, his hair dark , falling over his forehead. He looks you up and down before making a noise that sounds like a hum and goes back to reading his book. His lack of reaction frightens you.

"A girl from the town I just rode from," San answers and pushes you inside softly , Wooyoung following you and he closes the door behind him," I bought her."

"You did what? San, you know Hongjoong doesn't like it when—"

"Hongjoong knows, he was with me," San cuts him off, his voice coming off in somewhat cocky and that makes the blonde man glare at him. _Hongjoong, so that's what that man's name is. He must be the leader of some sorts._

"And you bought her... for what reason?" San doesn't answer and walks to a small cupboard near the sofa that is occupied by the sleeping man, grabbing a glass and a bottle of whiskey. He pours himself a small portion before downing it as quickly as he has poured it.

"San!" The blonde man demands and he sounds somewhat angered.

"She's obviously his lover, you know San is lonely!" Wooyoung says jokingly and you flush as the blonde male lands his stare on you. You don't even look up, your stare on the ground and focused on your feet.

"She is not my lover." San yet again says for what seems like the 10th time him but Wooyoung just shrugs and looks back at the blonde man.

"This is actually kind of cool, Seonghwa, I mean maybe she can cook good?" The blonde, Seonghwa sighs and waves his hand about.

"She shouldn't have been bought in the first place, you know how dangerous this could be, do you realize how harder this is going to be on us—"

"Seonghwa, stop thinking so deeply all the time," San yet again interrupts Seonghwa making the older male growl under his breath but he doesn't say anything more and just sits back down, obviously still annoyed. The silence is tense, heavy and your feet are starting to hurt but you don't dare complain and keep your eyes trained on the floor. _The Seonghwa man really doesn't want me here, does he? And why would it be dangerous like he said?_

"I don't think the others will be happy , San. You know Mingi," Seonghwa speaks up again after some time and this time you perk up, your eyes landing curiously on him.

"I know, but it's too late, I already bought her and she's not going back, they will have to get used to it," San sighs and makes himself another glass of whiskey.

"I hope you're right because I think they're back."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading !!


	6. Chapter Five

_Mingi? Who is Mingi?_ You find yourself even more frightened, shaken and nervous. The sound of horses neighing and men speaking is evident outside the house, their voices loud and one in particular catches your attention. It's deep and low and for someone reason makes you even more worried. Seonghwa sighs and walks to the couch that the tall man lays on, his snoring loud and his mouth wide open as drool runs down his mouth. The blonde man snaps his fingers in his ear making the man yelp and jump up so high it looks as if he'd might've touched the ceiling.

"The hell! I was takin' a nap!" The tall man whines and wipes his mouth with the back of his hand, Seonghwa completely ignoring his complaints and jerks his thumb to the door, right next to you.

"The others are back," Seonghwa mumbles,"Wash your face, also." You notice that Seonghwa seems to take on the fatherly role, his concern deep for others and you're surprised as the others seem like complete , dangerous men. Honestly , you fear for who these men are or who they could be, but what could you do? Wrapped in your thoughts, you don't notice that the tall man has his eyes on you, shocked and confused. He doesn't remember Wooyoung bringing in any woman from town before he fell asleep, so where did you come from? He scratches his head and ignores you for now, not wanting to make Seonghwa hit him again.

"San, stop drinking , will you?" Seonghwa's tone is pleading, watching the said male continue to poor glass after glass not even looking drunk or tipsy. Your eyes trail over to the two , San's face contorted with annoyance but he listens to Seonghwa anyways, pushing the glass away from him. A moment passes before the door swings open, throwing yourself out of the way so you don't get hit. Your back hits the wall as you watch a group of men walk in , laughing amongst each other. You notice that the same man that was with San is now here, walking in last. None of them sense your presence at first , all of them continuing on with their conversations.

"Yunho! Were you sleeping again? Your hair is a mess!" A deep voice speaks loudly, his body tall and lean , his presence intimidating by its self. He seems to tower over everyone else besides Yunho. The man beside him takes his hat off , his dark hair falling over his forehead. Each and everyone of them frightens you , cowering further into the corner as best as you possibly could hoping they won't notice you but God doesn't seem to be on your side because the man that took his hat off turns around slightly, his gaze landing on you.

He seems surprised and curious,"Who's this? Was she here when we left?" Everyone turns their attention towards you, silence settling in and you wish that you could fling yourself out of the window. You scan everyone's face , each of them reacting in a different way but when your eyes land on the tall man, you can see he's staring at you in what seems like fury.

"San, didn't I tell you to cut off the deal," Hongjoong speaks, annoyed and impatient,"San!"

"There was no way I was going to leave her there, it's not that big of a deal!" San argues back , the atmosphere tense. _They must really not want me , do they?_

"Not big of a deal ? San , I should slap you," The tall man spits out, his tone venomous and his fists clenched. His icy stare is still on your figure taking you in and observing you. You shiver under his gaze afraid that he might do something but he doesn't. Instead he turns to look at San, his head tilted to the side waiting for him to speak up.

"I don't see why you guys are all up my ass about this," San growls and you notice that he's close to the tall man, his height not matched with his but his anger making him seem just as intimidating. They're so close to one another, so angry that you're afraid they might start fighting but the taller male backs away, his fists still clenched and his aura still wrapped in fury.

"We don't need a woman to bring us down, but I doubt she'll be here for long," The man says in a low , threatening voice before turning to the left and stomping away to what seems like a room, slamming the door closed. What did he mean by that? _I doubt she'll be here for long. Was he saying that he'd **kill** me_? If you felt unsafe before , now you feel it even more wanting to just walk out and let the coyotes eat you alive.

"San, make sure she has a place to sleep, I'll talk to you in the morning," Hongjoong says , his voice quiet and monotone before going into the direction that the other man went in, disappearing from your sight. The remaining men in the room are silent for a moment before Wooyoung perks up.

"I'm hungry!"

________

The house is dark except for the light coming from the fireplace , a blanket around your shoulders a bowl of stew in your lap. It had only been 4 hours since you've been here, Wooyoung and Yunho being the only ones speaking to you. Wooyoung was what you would call a flirt and loud, very loud. But , he was nice and he was probably the only one , besides Yunho, who didn't look at you like you were a viper. You push a piece of meat around in the bowl, your spoon hitting the side of the glass.

"Are you not hungry?" Yunho asks, nodding his head to the untouched stew. You weren't hungry, not at all but you didn't want them to feel offended, at least they offered you food.

"Oh , yes I am, sorry," You mutter and and scoop some of the food in your spoon, bringing it up to your mouth. The taste was good, better than anything you've ever cooked before and you can't help but feel jealous.

"Good, right? Seonghwa made it!" Wooyoung smiles and brings his bowl up to his mouth, eating the stew like that instead of using a utensil. You stare at him in shock as he slurps the rest of the stew up, burping loudly.

"Manners! There's a lady here!" Yunho pushes his shoulder, eating his own food. The silent man who's name you found out was Yeosang , sits alone on a rocking chair, a book still in his hand. His stare was intimidating and intense , the lack of emotion in him irking you.

"What's your name?" You look up to see Seonghwa staring at you. He doesn't have a smile on his face but his tone isn't angry or malicious. You swallow a piece of meat , nervous and lips closed shut as they all look at you waiting for you to answer.

"It's ... It's Y/n.." you mutter, looking down at the bowl, feeling shy and small.

"That's a nice name," Wooyoung says in glee and kindness making your cheeks flare up. You don't know why they are being so nice to you but you don't want to ruin it, seeing how the tall man's words are still floating in your mind. He hasn't stepped out of the room since then and neither has Hongjoong. Neither of the men seem to have a liking towards you, the taller one having this sort of instant grudge against you. Maybe he just didn't like women? Or maybe he just didn't trust anyone but his friends? Either way, you were still hung up on his words.

As if he could hear you thinking about him, the door to the room slams open and out comes Hongjoong followed by the tall male. His face blank and his hair messy, clearly not wanting to be messed with. Seonghwa quickly stands up and walks to the small kitchen, grabs a bowl of stew and walks back to the male, handing him the bowl.

"Mingi, come sit over here!" Yunho shouts over to the male, who's name you now know is Mingi, so loud that Yeosang even stops reading with a scowl on his face. Mingi shoots his gaze over to Yunho and nods his head before his eyes trail over to yours, his stance suddenly changing and his fingers clenched around the bowl.

"Why is she still here?" Is his only question , his lips pressed together and his eyes narrowed. You don't miss the way he crinkles his nose in disgust, the way he stares at you with such malice. The feeling of wanting to cry hits you and you immediately turn your attention back to your lap. _Yea, he definitely doesn't like me._

"Don't be like that, just come and eat!" Wooyoung now speaks noticing the tension in the room, trying to lift it but Mingi still stands in his place, not wanting to be by you. He didn't want you there, he didn't know why San brought you in the first place. The group didn't need to be looking after a 9th face, much less a woman. You were just another mouth to feed and he was ready to bring you back to where you came from.

"San, I thought you weren't into corner women?" His words make you gasp , your eyes widening as you snap your head up. _Did he just call me a-_

"Mingi!" Seonghwa's tone is fierce, his eyes squinted and his jaw clenched,"Watch your mouth." You're completely speechless, hurt and embarrassed. Is that what they all thought you were? Some woman that San bought to _pleasure_ him? Now that you think about it, maybe that was what San had bought you for. Now you feel bile in your throat, tears at the corners of your eyes and your head bowed.

Mingi hums as if satisfied by your response and swivels around , walking back into the room , the door slamming behind him. It's quiet once again , this time Wooyoung doesn't try to lift up the mood and instead just sighs before standing up from the floor.

"Y/n, you can take the couch," Yunho speaks softly as if afraid to hurt you even more than you are before standing up and walking somewhere else. You heave a shaky sigh and push yourself up, turning to the couch and walk over to it, laying down.

You can't seem to stop thinking about Mingi's insult. You've never before been called a _whore_ before, not even Mr.Rick called you that.

"Goodnight, Y/n," Seonghwa says in a calmer tone than before and the fireplace is turned off, the fire gone and the darkness now settling over you.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading !!


	7. Chapter Six

Morning comes by quicker than you expected it to, loud talking surrounding you as you squint your eyes open, the sun peaking through the windows. Your sleep was surprisingly good considering you were in a house full of unpredictable men.

A loud crash erupts followed by a yelp and you assume that someone fell.

"Shush! Y/n is sleeping!" Wooyoung whines and you feel your cheeks burn as you push yourself up, the quilt on you sliding down to your waist. Wooyoung notices and groans, turning to smack Yunho on the arm letting you know that he was the one who made the noise. You notice that they are the only ones in the room, all the doors closed and you start to wonder that maybe you three are the only ones awake.

"He woke you up, didn't he?" Wooyoung whines and you smile sheepishly, shaking your head no. You throw your legs over the side of the couch and stand up, your eyes still droopy and your head still fuzzy. You can't see outside but you know that it's early morning, possibly 7 or 8. Back at home you'd always wake up before then, 6 was the norm as you'd have to be to work by 6:30 sharp. _Home_. You missed your mother, Annabeth, even the damn saloon. You missed working and speaking amongst the customers. You don't know how your life is going to turn out with these men, especially with Mingi. He had disrespected you, threatened you and you're not entirely sure the rest are willing to protect you incase he just had enough.

"Y/n! You there?" Fingers snap in your face and you jump so high up that Wooyoung cracks out a laugh but quickly covers his mouth as if afraid the others might wake. Your cheeks flush a deep cherry red but you nod and push yourself up.

"I made some breakfast! Might not be as good as Seonghwa's but... I tried!" Yunho speaks from behind Wooyoung ,a bright smile on his face with a bowl of what looks like oatmeal in his hand. You don't have the heart to tell him that it doesn't look edible. But , he was nice enough to cook for you and you were more than grateful for that offer. So you smile and walk over to him, grabbing the bowl as he quickly places a spoon in it.

Soon all three of you are eating, the two males clearly enjoying the meal but you aren't even close to finishing it , eating slow and struggling to keep a smile on your face at the taste. _Maybe I should teach him how to cook._ You scoop up some food and bring it up to your mouth but a loud slam makes the spoon drop from your hand and clatter into the bowl. You don't have to see their face to know that it's Mingi, his shoulders slumped and his hair messy from being slept on. He doesn't bother to glance in your direction and you're glad he doesn't, scared that he might say something else hurtful. Wooyoung glances at you for a moment wanting to say something but doesn't and instead goes back to eating his food, Yunho following suit.

"Did you guys take all the damn oatmeal?" Mingi's voice is quiet but his tone isn't kind and all you want to do at this moment and give him your oatmeal, not wanting it anymore. But you're scared to do even that, so you stay silent and look down.

"Sorry! There should be some stew left!" Yunho says apologetically and smiles towards Mingi to which he doesn't return and only gives him a look, his fists clenched and his shoulders tense but he releases a sigh and runs a hand through his hair. He doesn't have the energy to say anything smart , not wanting to deal with Hongjoong's mouth again and instead just turns back around towards the kitchen and grabs the stew.

"Hey, Y/n, do you have a lover?" The unexpected question has you choking on your spit, waving your hand about as you snap your head up to Wooyoung who only stares at you in confusion, waiting for your answer. You don't know how to respond , too embarrassed to tell the truth. You've never been with anyone before and you certainly don't see yourself being with anyone now considering the situation.

"N..No I don't," you respond quietly and you don't miss the snort that comes from Mingi. You don't need a mirror to tell that your cheeks are so red you could pass for a tomato. You expect Yunho and Wooyoung to laugh but they don't.

"San doesn't either! Well, actually he did—" Wooyoung is stooped by Mingi who clears his throat throwing him a warning glare. Now you're completely confused and interested. San had a lover? Where is she now? You knit your eyebrows together and bite your lip ,now completely lost in thought that you don't hear a door open and boots clicking on the floor.

"Yunho, did you round the horses?" San sounds different, his tone is low and raspy as if he had been yelling. He walks around the table and you can see that his hair is a mess , his clothes wrinkled and his shirt messily tucked into his pants. You can't doubt that he looks attractive but you just shake your head and cast your eyes away.

"No I didn't! I made breakfast, though!" Yunho exclaims but then looks back at his empty bowl,"Well, not enough.." Wooyoung stifles a giggle as Yunho smiles sheepishly.

"I don't think I'd want your oatmeal anyways, Yunho," San responds almost rudely but Yunho doesn't seem fazed and laughs loudly. You notice how close everyone are to each other and you start to miss the bond you had with Annabeth, missing the way you guys would have the most dumbest inside jokes that would somehow get you guys in trouble. You wondered how she was doing , how your mother was doing. How _everyone_ was doing. You clench your fingers around your shirt and feel the texture when a thought hits you. _I don't have anymore clothes_. For what seems like the 100th time today you feel embarrassment flood in your veins.

"Is Hongjoong still asleep?" Yunho questions,"Where are Seonghwa and Jongho? They're usually up as soon as the sun breaks through."

"They rode to town, getting some supplies," Mingi answers in a clipped tone obviously not saying more than what there is and the others sense it , nodding and changing the topic. It's silent for a moment and no one makes a sound other than Wooyoung and Yunho who quietly argue about something and Mingi's tapping on the counter. San just stands in the doorway, the screen door closed and the sun peaking through it shining throughout the house.

"Y/n, why don't you go and change in the bathroom?" Yunho suggests and nods his head to the direction of what you assume is the bathroom but you don't say anything , too embarrassed and nervous. San knows that you don't have anything with you , turning his head and opens his mouth but Mingi beats him to it.

"Doesn't look like she has any baggage to me." All of them look at you and you wish that you could just fling yourself out the door and hope to god that a coyote might be hungry enough to catch you.

"It's fine, we'll get her some when we ride out," San replies quickly and shoots Mingi a warning glance, hoping that he'd just keep his mouth shut but Mingi just laughs sarcastically, his head thrown back dramatically.

"Seriously? You bought a girl that doesn't even own a wardrobe?" He's clearly doing this to insult you , to hurt you and he's certain it's working as he watches you, your head tilted down and your fingers trembling in your lap. What _exactly_ had you done to him to make him act like this towards you?

"Mingi, shut the hell up," San says but this time his voice isn't as soft as before , threatening and low.

"I'm not sure you're in charge here." Everything went so fast and before you know it San is close to Mingi, so close that Yunho has to jump up to push them away from each other , the height difference almost funny. You were the cause of the heavy tension in between them and you wish that you were never brought here. For a moment the three males only stare at each other as Wooyoung stays seated , his eyes wide and expectant as if waiting for something to happen.

"And you are?" San mocks, struggling to keep his lips from twitching up in a cocky grin.

Mingi opens his mouth to speak , a sudden smirk curling on his lips but then he's interrupted by the screen door slamming open and boots stepping on to the wooden floor.Snapping your head to the direction you see Hongjoong walk in followed by Seonghwa and Jongho. Seonghwa's hair is unusually unkept , a fresh cut on his cheek and you can't help but worry. _What had happened?_

"Please tell me you guys aren't trying to brawl like toddlers again," Hongjoong says sarcastically, pulling the gloves from his hands and his stare gleaming down on Mingi specifically,"I'm getting tired of your immaturity, Mingi."

The said male drawls back as if he were slapped , his face going blank before he curls his lip in anger but doesn't say anything and only clenches his fist in silent fury. It was kind of amusing how strong and intimidating Mingi was, so mean that he'd fight a rattler and give him the first bite but towards a Hongjoong he was submissive and silent. There was no doubt in mind that Hongjoong was the leader, carrying the presence of one.

"San, same for you." San doesn't respond as well and nods his head, breathing heavily as if to calm himself and then turns his attention towards you. His eyes are still full of annoyance and anger but he motions his hand for you to walk over to him and moves past Hongjoong but not before he whispers something to him.

"Y/n, lets go."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!!


	8. Chapter Seven

The air outside is hot and humid , the sun beating down on the both of you and you can have to squint to see the outline of the cacti. San doesn't utter a single word to you as you both continue to walk to the horses that stand near the chairs on the side.Your thoughts are jumbled and your cheeks are still tinted pink from embarrassment ; you have no clothes, nothing with you and you know you'd feel even worse if they had managed to buy you something. Your eyes scan the surrounding watching San as he pets one of the horses, his hair slightly fluttering in the breeze. You can see the weary sag of his shoulders and the clench of his fists ; his jaw clenched and you know his almost recent fight is still burnt fresh into his mind.

"You shouldn't let Mingi get to you." Nearly startling in shock, you widen your eyes and watch as San continues to pet the horse. You stay silent for a second and scan his figure with your eyes, trying to find a good enough response.

"Says you." You don't know how you've managed to muster up all that courage for the remark that just left your mouth but it's too late to take it back and you instinctively shrink back when he quickly snaps his head towards your direction. Surprisingly he doesn't look angry with you , only just as surprised as you are , maybe because he hadn't expected you to answer back. Before you know it a small laugh leaves his mouth , and another and another before he's full blown laughing. _He's most definitely off his mental reservation now_. You're so dumbstruck that you simply stare at him with your mouth open. San finally regains his posture and nods his head almost as if agreeing with you.

"You're right, I shouldn't let him get to me," His voice is hushed and low but his eyes are still bright. You can't help but notice how good looks in this moment under the beating , hot sun. His symmetrical eyebrows and his sharp cheekbones. You spot a small scar under his left eye that ends at his nose.

"Why doesn't he like me?" You blurt out before you can stop yourself and you feel immensely stupid and humiliated like that one time you asked your mother why that one white boy didn't want to share his piece of bread with you. She had told you that it was because he just wasn't used to being nice. San's expression turns unreadable , unnerving and you don't expect anything good to leave his mouth.

"Its nothing personal, Y/n, don't let his words hurt you too deeply," He explains sounding like he's almost defending Mingi but then he continues on,"He's just... a difficult person." You don't have anything else to say and just think deeply about San's words. Different as in he hates my guts. You sigh and pat your dirty clothes down feeling sweat bead on your back from the unbeatable heat.

"This will be your horse, we're riding out tonight and I want to make sure everything is set," San mutters but loud enough for you to hear him. We're riding out tonight?

"And ... to where are we riding?" You ask and edge closer to where he stand, rummaging around in a bag that lays on the dirt near the horses.

"Dodge City." At that you widen your eyes and wonder if he's just pulling your leg but he turns to you in all seriousness. Dodge City was known for the people there being attacked by the Native Americans. Your people. Your father was one and you had always wondered that maybe that was why he had left you and your mother. Why would they be riding out there? Wasn't it too dangerous?

"Why there? I mean, my mother always told me that-"

"You aren't with your mother anymore, you're with us," San interrupts you knocking the air out of your lungs. Your words trails off to nothingness and your eyes move down to the ground. He's right, you aren't with your mother anymore and you probably won't ever be with her again. You don't dare and shed tears and instead pick your head up confidently, swallowing the lump in your throat.

"I'm sorry for asking then." With that you stay silent and cast your eyes away from San, failing to notice the regretful look on his face and the way he silently curses under his breath.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

The day went by fast and the sun moved down the sky quickly than you wanted it to and before you know it the moon is settling in beyond the tree line and all the members , including you, are outside ready to ride. You're beyond nervous , not knowing what's going to happen once you reach Dodge City. Seonghwa had told you that it would take at least 6 hours , and that's if we don't come across any problems. You're still in your same old , dirty clothes but Wooyoung had pulled you aside minutes before you all stepped outside, promising that he'd make sure you'd get new clothes. After the tense moment with San you had gone by yourself inside , settling between Yunho and Wooyoung on the small couch you had slept on. They had asked you millions of questions at the speed of light all to which you just waved your hand at , not wanting to speak.

" _Was it San-ie who made you upset? I'll beat him up for you!" Wooyoung pouted, teasingly standing up but you quickly push him back down and shake your head though you know he can tell it's true._

_"Yah, don't let San make you frown!" Yunho quirks and you can't help but smile along with him, you shouldn't let San dampen your mood._

Hongjoong's voice knocks you out of your thoughts , his presence intimidating as everyone stops what

they are doing.

"Make sure to stay close to one another, we don't know what's out there and some of us,"Hongjoong glances at who looks to be Jongho and _you_ ,"Havent been to Dodge City." You shakily glance at everyone before moving to your horse, trying your best to get on but you manage , Wooyoung helping you a bit. Once you're mounted on the horse you hold on tight, ready to follow along the group. You don't see San's eyes locked on to your figure , his lips parted wanting to speak up , to apologize to you for earlier but the call of Hongjoong has him quickly swivel around and soon all of you are off to what you hope is a safe ride.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading !!


	9. Chapter Eight

You're weighed down with exhaustion, the sun beating down on all of you with such force that had you hoping you could have at least one more sip of water. Hongjoong had limited the intake of water towards the middle of the journey seeing as the needed liquid was running out and you guys were barely there.

Your clothes are even worse than before, drenched with dirt and sweat and you know that the guys can see it and that just makes you want to turn the horse around and ride away. But Wooyoung had promised that he'd get you new clothes , even San and you were just hoping that they stuck to their word. Everyone had been silent for some reason and that had irked you more than it should have. You're behind Jongho, his back slumped over and his shoulders sagging due to exhaustion. Yunho was beside you when you all took off but he had moved to the front near Mingi and Hongjoong, leaving you alone to speak to yourself. San is near Wooyoung and Seonghwa as the three of them conversed amongst each other for the majority of the ride.

"Y/n!" You're knocked out of your thoughts by a voice who you quickly recognize as Wooyoung, his head turned a bit so he could look at you ; the sweat on your face and yet something still makes his heart twinge. You snap your head towards his direction and furrow your eyebrows , curious as to why he called you. Wooyoung laughs at your expression and looks forward again to watch where he's going before turning back around.

"We're going to be stopping soon," He says and you have to stop yourself from laughing in joy. You were tired of being on the back of this horse , your back sore from sitting up straight and the pure feeling of sweat making you want to do nothing more than to take a long bath. The group begins to slow down as Hongjoong searches for a place to lay low for the night, his eyes squinted and his stance on guard. You also look around and see cacti and rocks , not a sight of another living thing around but then your eyes lock on to something interesting. It looks to be a a big canyon , a cave deep inside it. You smile and turn back to the group.

"Guys, there's a cave over there!" You speak with excitement in your voice , happy that you can help the group.

Yunho is the first to round his horse around along with Hongjoong, the rest following along. You scan their faces to see them satisfied with your findings, Wooyoung even smiling , happy that he can finally rest but you don't miss the look on Mingi's face. He looks as if he's fighting a battle within himself , his eyebrows furrowed and his lips pursed. For a moment you're worried that he might spit out another one of his insults but he doesn't say a word. Not a rude comment leaves his mouth as he just leaves his lingering stare on you , his eyes darkening for a moment before looking away , his shoulders still tense and his fingers digging into the rein ; angry. You wish you could just look into his mind and see why he was acting the way he was , acting as if you had spit in his food. You don't mean to keep your eyes trained on him but you continue to analyze him , noticing strange details like the small scar on his jaw and the way his hair sticks to his forehead. He's attractive ... but it's a shame that his personality doesn't seem to be the same.

"It looks to be a good enough place to rest," Hongjoong murmurs and everyone else agrees with small mutters and nods. 

━━━━

The night fell upon all of you like a shadow, the only light available is the small fire that Seonghwa managed to create as it forms shadows along the walls of the cave. For some reason once the moon rose up to the sky the wind started to pick up causing goosebumps to form on your arms. San is seated beside you for some unknown reason but you're glad he as , seeing how Mingi is seated right beside him. Your stomach still churns in hunger but you know better than to ask for another piece of food as you all were trying to conserve until you reached Dodge City. To say you were worried and scared would be an understatement. Your mother always warned you about that place, about how you should never step foot there and that it's the heart of death. My father used to go there. You remember him taking trips there , never telling you nor your mother what the purpose was. You miss your mother , you miss her voice and her comforting touch. You miss that old, wretched town and the people within it. 

"We should tell stories!" Yunho announces , cutting the silence in half and earning the attention of everyone. You look up and watch as Yunho wipes his mouth clear of crumbles and burps loudly, covering his mouth after apologizing. A giggle bubbles in your throat as he clasps his hands together before opening his mouth to speak again.

"Stories? Yunho, you're the worst at telling stories," Jongho says and shakes his head , taking a bite of his bread.

"I am not !" The older male fires back and thus begins a small argument between the two , Wooyoung even offering his own piece of mind, earning himself a slap on the head from Yunho. You shake your head at their antics feeling your eyelids grow heavy.

"You tired?" A voice in your ear has you jumping in fright, whirling your head to the side to see San's stare on you. You notice that his eyes hold a certain flame in them , sharp and intimidating.

"Uhm...yea kinda but I..probably won't be able to keep my eyes closed," You say truthfully, a little sheepishly. San chuckles , a dimple peeking on his cheek that makes him look almost adorable despite the way he carries himself. 

"I usually have that problem too, I don't think I ever sleep very long." San sniffs and leans back on hands , his legs spread out in front of him. You bite your lip and go over his words , almost feeling sorry but before you can speak your response he clears his throat and pushes a piece of bread towards you. Your eyebrows shoot up in shock and confusion. You thought he had already eaten his food long before you did , why is he offering it to you?

"You should eat it, helps you grow stronger...or whatever," San says almost awkwardly , his cheeks lighting up but he turns his head a bit so you can't see it. You don't make a move to grab the bread , only stare at him in wonder. He feels your gaze and turns to meet your eyes with a somewhat soft gaze , waiting for you to take the bread as he makes a gesture to it again but you don't bother touching it.

"It's yours," You finally mutter feeling another set of eyes on you but you don't bother trying to turn to see who it is. San only shakes his head and pushes the food more towards you as it now touches your leg. The both of you have a silent battle as you furrow your eyebrows before finally taking the bread and unwrapping the paper around it, breaking a piece off.

"My father....my father used to tell me that," You muster as you chew slowly , your stare at San as he furrows his eyebrows as to what you're talking about," He used to tell me eating bread would make grow stronger, though I don't think he was quite correct." Your heart almost aches at the thought of your father but you slap yourself in your mind for even feeling like that. You haven't seen your father in so long and you've learned to push away those feelings.

"He has? Someone once told me that , I don't think she was correct either," San laughs almost to himself . _She_? Is that who Wooyoung was referring to?

"Speaking of your father, he was a Native , right?" You pause mid swallow and rack through your brain for answer before nodding your head slowly.

"What tribe?"

"Comanche." Something in him changes and so does the air between you. It seems as if the rest of group was listening in on your conversation because someone clears their throat , interrupting your conversation.

"Comanche?" Jongho repeats slowly and now you're even more confused. Why had the atmosphere changed amongst hearing that name? A hundred million questions are flying around in your head and your mouth opens to speak them but Hongjoong puts his hand up to stop you. He doesn't even bother offering you a fake smile, his face adorned with a grimace.

"It's nothing," He says in almost a warning tone, glancing around and giving each and every one of the members a look , a silent order,"We should rest, we'll arrive in the morning." _What ... just happened?_ A blanket is shoved towards you and you see that it's Yunho who passes it to you, his normal smile there but it seems forced and tight. Maybe I shouldn't have told San what my father was as they seem to have some sort of .... coldness towards the Comanche. For some reason your heart clenches but you just push that away, letting go of the uncertainty and begin to unfold the blanket pulling it over your figure as you pull your legs up to your chest. Someone puts the fire out and now the darkness falls over you quickly , the moon peaking from the small entrance. Scared would be understatement for how you feel for the upcoming day. It's your first time going to Dodge City, and it doesn't make it any better when you're riding in with a bunch of dangerous men who don't all seem to have warmed up to you.

So, you heave a sigh and let your eyes close, awaiting the next day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading !!!


	10. Chapter Nine

One thing you missed about waking up in the morning was seeing your mother's figure silently sleeping in the bed beside you, the sun peaking through the window and the sound of birds chirping. You missed being able to make breakfast for her , making sure she was alright before leaving for work.

Waking up now wasn't anything like it as the first person you saw was Mingi staring at you with such detest , his hand stretched out like he was going to wake you up but decided against it. You quickly scramble up from the hard ground , wincing when your back aches but you ignore it.

"The sun is high , we need to start moving," Hongjoong announces in a loud voice that seems to boom around the cave, his authority strong. A hand is placed on your shoulder that has you gasping in fright , turning around to see San staring at you with amusement written all over his face but he struggles to fix it back to a blank façade.

"You are unbelievably scared of everything, aren't you?" San speaks and his tone of voice has your cheeks flaring in embarrassment as you hear Yunho stifle a giggle , no doubt agreeing with what San said. He is right , you are scared of almost everything but that's how you always spent your life; being scared. But it was time to change, wasn't it? Especially since your life has in a drastic way. San picks up the blanket from the ground and folds it messily before walking to the front of the cave, turning around to motion for you to follow him. His hair slightly dances with the breeze letting you know that it shouldn't be too hot outside , but the cave is so hot that you feel sweat on the back of your neck as your hair clings to your forehead. You nod sheepishly and begin to walk over to his figure, missing the smile that Yunho gives you and the stare that Mingi lands. They all buzz around picking cans and blankets up , stuffing them in bags and throwing them over their shoulders.

"We don't have any more food , but we can hold off until we reach town," San says but the look he gives you says something else , as if he's asking if you can hold off ,"I'm sure Jongho has an extra apple somewhere." You want to say that yes , you are hungry and you do want that apple but the thought of eating while everyone else sits in hunger didn't quite feel well so you shake your head.

"I can—" You clear your throat,"I can hold off, thank you, though," You insist in a kind voice , even offering a tentative smile to which San just nods at but a small smile is still given. You can't help but notice that he looks different than he did the day before. His eyes seem light and his stance seems relaxed despite the fact that you were arriving the town today. It would be an understatement to say that you are worried, no, youre terrified. So many outcomes pop up in your mind but you push them back, not wanting to make yourself even more nervous. You hope for a peaceful time in the town but something in your gut tells you there wont be.

"Y/n, do you know what your father-" San begins to speak but cuts himself off, shaking his head and mumbling something to himself. You furrow your eyebrows and open your mouth to questions him but San puts his hand up.

"It's nothing, forget it, I think Hongjoong is ready." He tries to make his escape but you leap forward and and grab his forearm making his breath hitch as he hurriedly shakes it out of your grip.

"No, tell me, what?" You beg almost pathetically , wanting to know what he had to say. The male's eyes dart around. Left. Right. He finally sighs and looks over your shoulder before looking back at you, walking closer, so close that if someone were to push you youd be knocked into him.

"Do you know what your father used to work as? Or what he did at all?" His question reels you back. Truthfully , you dont know what your father worked as. Your mother always told you he would work long hours yet she never told you where or what as. You barely even remember your father besides the nights he used to read you bedtime stories when you were 5 or his smile whenever you used to sing him something.

"No...I dont know," You mumble and close your eyes for merely a second before looking back up at San,"Why? Do you know something?" You take this as an opportunity and get even closer not caring about the distance which makes San widen his eyes but he doesnt move.

"No, I dont know anything, I was only curious." His tone is assertive but shaky , not giving you a chance to respond before turning around and walking out of the cave. What is he not telling you...?

The heat of the sun is strong but the cool, gentle breeze helps only a bit as your hair whips around your face a bit. The conversation from earlier is still fresh in your mind but you only whisk it away, not wanting to dwell on it any longer. The scenery had changed drastically, there was still obvious dirt but trees started to appear as well as grass, flowers. It was beautiful, something you werent quite used to seeing.

"We should play a game!" Yunho declares making almost everyone but you, Seongwha and Yeosang groan, obviously not wanting to.

" Yunho your games arent that great, Im sorry," Wooyoung says in fake sympathy earning a curse from Yunho which makes the younger boy laugh. Yunho pouts and grown silent , ignoring Wooyoung and you cant help but feel somewhat bad even though they were only joking.

"I wouldnt mind...playing a game that is," You muster up with a nervous smile, the horse beneath you making your shoulders sway. Yunho quickly turns his head around the best he can and shows off one of the brightest smile you've ever seen besides your mother's.

"Do you really want to!" Yunho blabbers and weaves his horse around by the reins making the animal make a noise but he ignores it and moves beside you. You smile and nod , feeling better than you did earlier.

"How about we play.....a question game," Yunho suggests and you knit your eyebrows together to which he notices and continues on," I ask you a question, you answer then you ask me one!"

"That doesnt seem like much of a game..." Jongho says under his breath making you giggle but you immediately cover your mouth, Yunho smiling from the corner of your eye.

"I'll start! Y/n, how old are you?" It seems like everyone has turned their attention towards you, even Hongjoong who rides at the front though his attention seemed to perk up , his horse now going slow. You didnt know why you felt so shy from a simple question like that.

"I...uh Im 18," You say quietly,shyly making Yunho hum.

"You are the same age as Jongho! How cute!" Wooyoung pipes, your cheeks warming up. 

"I wanna ask one!" Jongho says but Hongjoong clears his throat loudly interrupting him. Your eyes dart up only to see why he did so. A town lays in front of you all , big and full of people buzzing around, horses neighing and even the sound of babies crying. Your heart beats so fast you feel it pound against your chest, your breathing gets fast and youre sure you might just fall from the horse.

"We're going to split up, just for safe measures." Seongwha declares to everyone and your eyes widen. _Split up? Please dont put me with Mingi..._ The boys nod and talk amongst themselves, leaving you out of it.

"No! She will not go with you, she can come with me," You hear San say in a hushed tone, not obviously not wanting you to hear much.

"I need you with me, San, she can go with Wooyoung," Hongjoong says and his tone of voice leaves no room for arguments and that was the end of the small discussion, if you could call it that. Mingi is the first to get off his horse followed by Yunho and San, not too long the others get off as well as you do. Wooyoung throws an arm over your shoulder ignoring the look San gives him and leans his head on your shoulder which makes you jump at the unexpected touch. You noticed that Wooyoung was very touchy , not the kind to make you feel uncomfortable but it was unusual to you. You've never had anyone be so close to you besides Annabeth and your mother. 

"Wooyoung," Hongjoong calls out and both of you turn to look at him,"Stay together." The male's sharp eyes stay glued onto the younger one's for a moment before moving them on to you, his gaze softening a bit before turning back around and stalking away with Seonghwa, San and Jongho. Mingi pairs with Yunho and you never noticed how well they suited each other. Their height was intimidating on its own , their stance the same but their attitudes obviously told them apart. Yunho was kind and welcoming; warm like your mother. Mingi was the total opposite, the other side of the moon and you didn't want to discover him.

"Come on, Y/n, lets go explore!" Wooyoung persists and takes his arm from around you but pushes you forward, stumbling ahead. The two of you walk past unfamiliar faces , bars , animals and markets. Your town was nothing like this. Everyone kept to themselves and no one wanted to do anything about it, but here it looks as if everyone was talking with...everyone. It looked so surreal to you that you couldn't stop the smile forming on your face. The two of you continue to walk through town when suddenly Wooyoung stops abruptly, his eyes on something across the street.

"Woo-" Your eyes trail over to see that it isn't something that stops him, it's a _someone_. A girl leans against the wall of a building , her hair curled and loose around her face, the brown completing her skin. Her dress ends at her below her knees , her shoes a bit high and and her stance confident. She locks eyes with Wooyoung and she straightens her posture, a sultry look on her face.

"Do you know her—"

"Shh!!" Wooyoung flails his hand around at you and keeps his stare on the girl. She smiles and beckons him over, waiting for him to come.

"Okay, Y/n, you can handle yourself for an hour or two right?" _He can't be serious..._

"Wooyoung no!" But he doesn't listen to your pleads and instead jogs over to the girl leaving you all alone in an unknown town.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading !!


	11. Chapter Ten

Endless outcomes and possibilities run through your mind in a frenzy, opting to either run after Wooyoung or try to find the others, but as you watch the male quickly scurry behind the female you know you're left with option two. But how are you to find them? You don't know the town and you'll most definitely find yourself lost in just a matter of seconds. Anxiety trickles over you slowly, your heart beat picking up speed as you quickly try to figure out what to do — but you're stuck and the only thing to do is try and locate the others. So , determined to find them as quickly as possible you move your feet and start walking, your eyes darting around.

Every face is unfamiliar to you making you move faster. Where could they be? Eating? Drinking? Then a though hits you — they could be in a bar! Well, at least one group is bound to be. So with that thought in mind your eyes now search for a bar.

"Dear God, what is wrong with that child?" A voice questions from beside you belonging to an old lady. Her face holds disgust as she drags her eyes over your body , her top lip curled as her husband, you're assuming, shows the same. You know that you don't look decent; your hair a mess, dirt littering your face and clothes. It doesn't make it any better that you're mixed, who knows what anyone could do to you. You need to find clothes and fasts You stumble down the crowded street with warm cheeks searching for a clothes store , cupping your hands around your eyes when finally find one. It's brown and small, the small letters on the tap reading Margaret's Dress Shop. That seems like a decent store. But then, you stop abruptly almost slapping yourself out of stupidity, You don't have any money.

You consider crossing out that option of getting clothes but from the looks you're receiving, you know you need to. So, you walk up to the store, maneuvering around people and push the door open. To your absolute luck the front lady is attending to someone. You scurry like a mouse behind racks of clothing, peelings to make sure no one notices you. Your hands work in a flash as you grab a blouse and a skirt.

You can't believe that you're doing this, you've never stolen a single thing in your life , not even when you really wanted that pretty necklace you saw decorated on a lady's neck back at home. But here you are putting on a whole outfit , stolen, and you can't help but feel guilt arise in your chest but you push it down and rush to the back finding a dressing room unoccupied. Your hands fumble with the him of your shirt , pulling it over your head and doing the same with your pants. Your skin is embarrassingly dirty , grime laying across you all over and you know for a fact that you need to hurry and wash yourself. It doesn't take long for you to change into the new clothes, brushing your hands nimbly against the blouse and skirt. Now you need to figure out how to get out of here without getting caught. Please don't get caught.

You pull the curtain to the side silently, slowly and peak outside, searching for an easy way out. Seeing that there isn't anyone around you quickly scurry out and try to make your way to the entrance when you see the clerk move away from the counter, coming towards your direction.

"Shit!" You whisper to yourself and swivel around almost tripping but you manage to catch your balance, your heart racing and your eyes quickly searching for an exit. You could hide behind a rack of clothing and hope for the best or try to find an exit in the back , but what if there isn't one? When you hear the clerk's footsteps edge closer to you, her heels clicking against the wooden floors and that's when you hurriedly scurry back to where the dressing room was.

You opt to hide in the dressing room but you spot a hallway to your left and you make your way down there, slowing down your pace as you no longer hear the lady. Now to find a way out of here. The hallway is small and narrow, the walls made of mud and rocks molded together creating probably the ugliest color. Where is the damn exit? You need to hurry and find the others, maybe Wooyoung will be waiting for you after realizing he made a mistake? HA, yea right, he looked like he was going to stay there a while You huff and continue to walk down the hall when you spot a door creaked open slightly , sunlight shining through it. An exit! The gods were with you. Your steps are quick, just wanting to hurry and find the guys but you step on something; a piece of paper it seems. Glancing down you notice that it's not any kind of paper, it's a notice from the sheriffs. You can see the big words in bold ' **WANTED** ' printed at the berry top with a picture of a man. He looks _familiar_. You notice there are other papers like that scattered around in that corner.

Your curiosity gets the best of you and you wish it hadn't as the man that you see is someone you know. It's Hongjoong. He has a black hat that lays on his head, his lips pursed and his eyes blank. This must be a mistake. You read over the words and notice one that sticks out to you. **Murder**. He's wanted for murder? You drop the paper and look around to the others. Yunho. Mingi. Jongho. Wooyoung. All wanted for murder. Even San, the one who took you. Is that why he bought you? So he could kill you? _No, he wouldn't. He's protected me ever since he bought me, why would he kill me?_ Your mind races and hesitance settles in your bones. You don't know what to do now. Should you stay here and possibly get caught and punished for stealing? Or should you find the guys who are all wanted for murder? You sigh and slump down on the floor, needing to make a decision. These guys did treat you with some kindness and decency. Well, not Mingi but you're not _exactly_ shocked that he's wanted for such a crime.

"Man, I really shouldn't have dropped those drinks."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading !!


	12. Chapter Eleven

"Lisa, I'm going to check the back, I'll be right with you in a hurry!" A woman's voice calls out and your breath hitches in panic. You scramble up and mange to keep your balance, tripping over the papers and rush down the hallway through the exit. The sun's rays automatically beat down on you, bright and hot but it's better than before as you are no longer wearing pants . You're behind the building, your eyes squinting as you look to the left and spot the rest of the town.

You don't know what to do as your mind is still racing. You knew that they were at least some kind of troublesome men but you didn't know they were wanted by the authorities. They killed people and you slept under the same roof as them, but then again they haven't done anything to harm you. Especially not Yunho and Wooyoung who have been nothing but nice and welcoming towards you.

Even if you decided not to stay, San bought you and no one would willingly take in a half breed. So with your mind still running and the heat still beating on you, you set on your way to find Wooyoung. You don't remember much about how the place looked as you weren't looking clearly but you remember the sign above it saying something along the lines of 'Funhouse'. You wipe your forehead with the back of your hand and start walking towards the direction of the town, your pace quick. You'd like to find him before the moon settles over the sky. Once you reach the street you push your way through crowds of people in search of the building you are so desperately hoping to find. You came from the right so that means it has to be the right way. You maneuver your way down the street avoiding getting run over by carriages and horses. You know you are still dirty but your clothes are clean so you don't get as many looks as you did before. You're careful not to step on people's feet, occasionally getting pushed as only a few of them mutter an apology.

After a few more seconds you finally see the building you were searching. A few more men walk in and out, none of them being Wooyoung meaning he's still in there. You puff your cheeks and take a deep breath before crossing the street, your eyes wide. You follow behind a man as you both enter the building. The strong smell of alcohol slams into your senses, so strong you can taste it. All around are sounds of men talking and women laughing.A woman walks past you, a wide smile on her lips, a man right on her tail. _Her skirt was really short..._ Realization quickly settles in as to where you are and you want nothing more but to leave, but you need to find Wooyoung.

"Hey! Girl!" A woman calls out, a hand grabbing your arm,"Why the hell are you just standing here? Go find a room! And why the hell you so dirty for?" You don't even get a chance to speak as she grumbles, pulling you to the right. You both enter a small room that looks to be a washroom and she lets go of your arm.

"You can't be pleasin' no men with all that damn dirt on ya face," She spits out, grabbing a washcloth and dips it into a bucket of water. Her free hand grips your face and you flinch away but her grip is tight. She scrubs your face harshly, mumbling under her breath. Maybe she knows where Wooyoung is.

"I'm..." Your voice falters as the cloth wipes over your lips and nose and down to your neck," I'm looking for Wooyoung." The woman shorts and runs the cloth over your arm, washing the dirt off of you. A strand of her curly red hair falls over her forehead as she smiles sarcastically.

"You were lookin' for Wooyoung with all this on you?" She laughs almost rudely, your cheeks burning. The way she speaks of him makes it seem as if he's been here more then once. Your impatience is now growing as the woman finishes wiping you down.

"Do you know where he is or not?" You didn't intend for your voice to come out clipped and rude but you don't want to waste any more time. The woman gives you an unreadable look, almost bored even. She sighs and ushers you out of the room.

"He's in room four, he came with Molly so you might have to wait," She says in a smooth voice,"Unless he asked for you as well?" You don't say anything, only nodding and she takes your answer before leaving you alone. Room four...You turn your head and start to walk down a hall seeing a sign that says 'Rooms'. You sigh in relief and head over to the area but a man steps in front of you, blocking the entrance.

"Woah now doll, where do you think you're going?" The man asks in a rough voice, eyeing you down. Your eyes waved and you quickly answer , hoping your voice doesn't come out shaky.

"Wooyoung called for me," Your words fly out in a hurry,"With Molly.."You add on for good measure. The man's stare is unnerving as he barely blinks, his eyes squinting but then a grin climbs on his face. He moves aside and extends his arm out.

"Sounds like him, go ahead." And with that you scurry ahead. The hallway is dimly lit and humid, the smell of sweat strong. All the doors are shut but you can still hear the things going on inside. You grimace and quickly spot the room on the left. You smile and raise your hand to knock on the door. You hear someone squeal and the sound of a bed creaking.

"It's Jasmine!" Jasmine? Soon the door flies open , a brunette girl standing in front of you. You notice her chest is barely covered and you quickly look away, wanting to just turn around.

"What's taking so- Y/n?!" Wooyoung's voice erupted loudly and you hear the sound of the bed creaking again, his curses loud. You see his dark hair behind the girl as he pushes her out of the way. His face is full of shock, eyes wide as if he can't believe his eyes.

"What are you doing here? How did you get those clothes? How are you so...clean?" His questions spit out fast as he looks over you, he'd be lying if he said he wasn't surprised by your new appearance.

"You left me alone!" You don't even bother to hide the hurt in your voice, your tone high pitched, his face dropping. He runs a hand through his hair and nods.

"I'm sorry , let's just go find the guys, yea?" He turns around and fumbles with his pants before taking out some coins and placing them on the table next to the messy bed. The girl, Molly, looks between the two of you and rushes over to Wooyoung.

"Woo, who is this?" She questions in a threatening tone, side eyeing you.

Wooyoung doesn't answer and pushes past her, now out of the room as he grabs your arm. Your eyes lock with Molly's, her face full of anger.

"I've gotta go , thanks doll." And with those final words from him he's pulling you down the hallway. His steps are quick and you struggle to keep up.

"I'm going to let my father know about this Jung Wooyoung!" Her angry voice follows after you both and something about her tone scares you.

It's not long before the both of you are out of the hot, smelly building. You're more than happy that you're out of there. You both continue walking,his back turned to you and you notice the same kind of bandana San had right in his back pocket. The images of the wanted signs flash in your mind and your pace slows down.

"Wooyoung-"

"How did you get those clothes?" He questions, cutting you off. You notice that the streets are barely crowded, only a few people walking around. Where did everyone go? Wooyoung turns around and tilts his head, awaiting your answer.

"I...I got them from a shop," You mumble, looking anywhere but at Wooyoung.

"A shop? With what money?" He questions in pure curiosity but then there's a pause and he taps your forehead. "Did you..steal those?" Your cheeks burn in shame as you now look at him. He's clearly surprised that you did such a thing but then a smile forms on his face. He grabs your arm and jumps up and down like a child.

"I knew you had it in you!" He smiles and you are now completely flabbergasted. What in the hell is wrong with him? Why is he so happy you stole something? He notices your confused look and he only smiles wider. He pats your shoulder and shakes his head.

"I'm just feeling like a proud father!" He exclaims and before you can reply a man's voice cuts you off.

"Jung Wooyoung!" You swivel around to see a group of men before you, stars pinned on their shirts. Sheriffs. Fear strikes in you, Wooyoung grabbing your arm to pull you behind him. The man in the middle has a dark red beard, his hair short and slightly damp from sweat. He speaks, his left hand gripping on to something on his belt. A gun.

"Ah, how can I help you?" Wooyoung asks in a cheery voice though you can see his shoulders tense up. The people that are on the street quickly evaluate the situation and move out of the way. The air is thick with tension, Wooyoung and the man staring at one another.

"Don't play stupid with me boy! Do I look stupid to you?" The man yells out in anger, offended almost, his hand clenched around his gun so tight his knuckles are ghost white,"My daughter told me you decided to step foot into this town. With a damn halfbreed too." You widen your eyes and cower back, glancing at Wooyoung who has the same expression.

"Y/n on the count of three, we're gonna run to that carriage on the right," Wooyoung mutters lowly and you nod your head, keeping your eyes trained on the sheriffs. There's a moment of silence between you guys, too silent.

"One...two...go!" Everything moves in a hurry, your legs moving fast and the sounds of angry yells from the men along the lines of _"Kill them!"_ Wooyoung's grip is so unbelievably tight on your arm that there's no doubt there will be a bruise but you're not worried about that, you're worried about the men chasing after you both. Your legs burn and your heart races. Something whizzes past you , grazing your hair and hitting the ground not too for from you. _They're shooting at us!_

Wooyoung pulls you to the side as the booming sounds of gunshots fill the air. You were used to the sound of guns being shot as the men in your town used to get into stupid fights but it was different this time as you were now the one being shot at. As you both take a turn you feel something slam into your side and it's as if time stops. The pain is hot and too much , so much so you can't even scream as you stagger forward. Every never on your side screams in agony, more gunshots filling the air.. Wooyoung's hands quickly press against your wound and a scream is ripped from your throat. You can hear your name being called out distantly, your vision going blurry.

"Y/n!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading !!


	13. Chapter Twelve

Everything hurts. Your side feels as if it's on fire, like your insides are burning and your breathing getting harder to maintain. You thought you knew pain from before, like prickling yourself on a cactus, but this—this is a different kind of pain. Your muscles contract in pain, in agony and you wish it would all just stop. Distantly, you hear your name being called out though it sounds gibberish and strange, like you were underwater.Your body moves up and down and you scream for the movement to stop but all you get in response are shushes from someone in front of you. _Am I on a horse?_ You feel the animal lunge forwards and you slump against the rider, wrapping your arms weakly around them. _Who is this?_ You can't bring yourself to care through the pain, tears prickling at the corner of your eyes, each step the horse takes making the bullet in you lodge even further within. You can feel your blood pulse around the wound, you can feel it leak down your side, warm.

"—worry Y/n," Someone says but you cant distinct their voice, your eyes fluttering open and closed, trying to keep your breathing in control. Something tells you to stay awake but your eyelids feel as if they have weights on them as they close shut, losing consciousness.

_______

"—she okay?"

So many questions flurry around you, your ears not registering them and you panic, the feeling of hands on your bare skin. _Your skin._ It seemed to have gotten worse, your skin now feeling like it's fully on fire, dipped into lava and sweat beads at your forehead. You so desperately wish for the pain to leave but it doesn't and you're still left with your vision swimming, distorted. You feel something press against your lips,a bottle it seems, the liquid flowing out of it but you don't open your mouth and it drips down your chin. The taste is bitter and if you were able to scrunch your nose in disgust, you would. A hand gently brushes your hair and the bottle is pushed back to your lips.

"Drink, it will help with your pain," The voice speaks softly to you, their tone smooth and gentle and you can't help but listen to them, opening your mouth just enough for the liquid to go through. It's nasty, it's alcohol, you notice. You know this because sometimes you would test taste the drinks that Mr. Rick would bring back from different towns he visited. You exhale a breath shakily as you feel hands back on your skin, tearing your shirt as you feel a slight breeze dance on your skin. You wait for the pain to decrease but it does the complete opposite and now your whole body is on fire. A scream rips from your throat, the hands on you now frantically moving at a faster rate.

"We need to get it out of her!" A panicked voice speaks out, loud and right next to you. It sounds like Yunho but you're too distorted to be sure. Distantly, you hear someone agree and it's not long before you feel yourself being gently pushed on to the ground and someone petting your hair.

"This is going to hurt, Y/n, but we need to get this out of you." That voice. You know that voice, it was _San_. His hands brush through your hair and it strangely feels like the touch of your mother; warm and gentle, like home. You feel a hand slip into yours, gentle and you cling on to it, your grip tight.

A minute passes by like an hour before you feel a piece of metal touch your side, it's sharp. It doesn't move for a moment as your anxiety rises.

Then, you scream. Your wails are loud and echo around you, the one holding your hand cursing under his breath as your grip gets even tighter that you're sure to bruise him but you don't care. All you care about is the pain in your side and the feeling of something digging around in you, scraping. You've never felt anything like this before.

"It'll go away soon, Y/n," A soft, feathery voice speaks into your ear,"I'm sorry."

________

The sounds of hushed whispers fills your ears, the quiet crackle of a fire playing in the background. You're warm, you notice, and when you try to move pain erupts faintly earning a moan from you. Something next to you moves quickly and the warmth that you felt is now gone.

"Y/n? Don't move too much," Someone says and now you can clearly make a distinction of who it is. You groan and manage to open your eyes and at first everyone looks like shadows but when your vision clears you see Wooyoung next to you, a worriedexpression plastered on his face but you notice something else in his eyes. _Guilt_. You open your mouth to speak but you change your mind and turn away, your throat dry.

"Y/n!" A familiar voice whispers and you turn your head to the right, Yunho's face so close to yours it makes you squeak. He furrows his eyebrows in confusion but then widens his eyes and backs away, shaking his head.

"Sorry! I got you water! Seonghwa is making you some medicine!" He says and you notice a jug in his hand. Your mouth waters at the sight of water and he notices your expression, walking to you and you expect him to place it next to you but he doesn't, instead he bends down and brings the jug close to your mouth.

You flinch back but the pain in your side flares and you wince, scrunching your nose and gritting your teeth. _God, that really hurts._ Yunho takes the flask away in panic and quickly moves to check your side but you shake your head, muttering a "Im Fine." He nods and then brings the flask back up to your lips.

"Open up~!" Yunho hums and you don't fight him, opening your mouth just enough for him to tilt the flask on your lips, allowing you to drink. It feels like heaven in a bottle, you didn't even realize how thirsty you were until Yunho takes the flask away saying how there was no more and that he'd have to go and get some.

"You know, we noticed the clothes you had on," Yunho says and eyes you suspiciously,"How did you get them?" You gulp and you know for a fact that there's some sweat on your forehead, your eyes wavering. You were always bad at lying. Your mother had told you this numerous of times. Yunho waits for you to respond and the look on his face make you even more nervous.

"Wooyoung....bought them for me," You say in such a quiet voice you're surprised he even heard you. You hope that your tone was at least somewhat believable for your sake but from the look on his face you know that it was nowhere near believable. _If they find out Wooyoung left me, he'd be in big trouble._

"Wooyoung had the same amount of money he left with," Yunho deadpans and you bite your lip, looking away but only to glance at Wooyoung who isn't looking at either of you. The air is thick with tension and you're afraid to open your mouth to answer. You don't even notice the other members watching you.

"Y/n, tell us the truth." This time it's San who speaks and his tone of voice is so clipped and full of something else that you can't pinpoint. The pain on your side seems to increase but you don't react to it and instead exhale a breath.

"I stole them," You mutter and wander your eyes over to San who doesn't look surprised the slightest. He only raises a brow and nods his head before he casting his dark gaze to Wooyoung.

"Why did she steal those, Wooyoung?" The said boy doesn't reply and only picks at his fingers, completely ignoring the older of the two. You don't know what to say or do in the situation. Should you blurt it already and spare an argument or should you just stay silent and watch Wooyoung get fussed at? You just want to lay back down and sleep, ignore the pain in your side but you can't seem to do that, not at this moment. It seems like hours has passed before Wooyoung finally speaks up, his voice on edge.

"Because I wasn't there," He says vaguely,"I wasn't there to buy her clothes. But I was there when I got her shot." The temperature in the air feels as if it dropped, so silent that you're sure they can hear your heart beating incredibly fast. Got her shot. Does he think....? He laughs sarcastically and gets up from the ground beside you, fists clenched. His face is full of anger, regret and guilt all in one, swirling in his dark eyes and you wish you could do something but he opens his mouth.

"I left her alone," He says in a broken voice that has your heart splintering in two. Somehow the pain in your heart now meets the one on your side.

"Why would you do that? Knowing she's-," San pauses and glances at you for just a split second before speaking again,"We told you to stay together." 

"I made a mistake! Just like you did!" The younger's voice is now loud and booming, so loud that even Yunho quickly ushers to shush him but he doesn't listen, taking small steps towards San's direction, the others looking between them.

San is fuming like a thousand scorching suns from Wooyoung's response but he doesn't explode into action but instead feigns confusion, head tilted as his stance remains composed. He reminds you of a snake ready to strike.

"Oh, don't give me that stupid look, you know exactly who I'm talking about," Wooyoung muses in a taunting tone of voice, eyes glinting. This Wooyoung sounds nothing like the one you met before, the one who was playful and nice.

"Wooyoung, enough-"

"No, let him keep talking," San interrupts Hongjoong which surprises everyone, the look of disbelief on the older male's face that quickly morphs to anger, lips tugged downwards. From the looks of it, everyone respected Hongjoong. But now, now it doesn't seem to matter to San as his anger had a mind of its own.

"Is that why you bought Y/n,huh?" Wooyoung's words anger San even more to the point you can see steam coming out of his ears. What is he talking about? San doesn't respond but you know he's struggling to, not knowing what to say.

"You didn't buy her because you felt bad," Wooyoung chuckles darkly,"You bought her because she reminded you of-" Everything in front of you moves so quickly. A punch to Wooyoung's face sets everything off like a bomb. Yunho rushes up to pull the fighting boys apart, Jongho doing the same. Your heart beats so quickly and your breathing quickens.

"Enough!" A voice booms and the boys are pulled apart, breathing heavily, their eyes wild. Seonghwa stands between them, furious, his jaw clenched and his eyebrows furrowed.

"The both of you apologize." Seonghwa demands in such a tone that you would've thought he was in charge. Both San and Wooyoung make the same face, trying to back away but Yunho and Jongho stop them.

"I'm not apologizing,he knows I'm right," Wooyoung spits out and manages to break free from Jongho's hold, giving San one last look before storming his way past everyone and out of sight.

"Yeosang." Seonghwa turns his head to call out to someone and you see a man with dark hair, his eyes intense and you quickly realize it was the man you saw the first day you met them. He nods before following after the younger.

"San, you know better." The said boy doesn't say anything and instead he keeps his head down. Seonghwa sighs and gives signal for Yunho to let him go before looking at you.

"You should rest, I'll make sure to have something for you to eat when you wake," His tone softens only a bit but he's obviously still upset. Your voice seems to be gone so you only nod and scoot down, careful not to hurt yourself. Your eyes close and you try to shut your mind off but one single thought won't leave your head, haunting you.

_Who was Wooyoung talking about?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading !!


	14. Chapter Thirteen

It wasn't long before you awoke again, the pain somewhat better but obviously still there. This time though, everyone is asleep , the cracking of the fire trying to lull you back tosleep but you wipe your eyes, pushing yourself up and against the wall. The pain that wraps around your side is numb though, you can still feel the fire within it. Your stomach rumbles in hunger and you look to your left seeing Seonghwa asleep next to Hongjoong, his arm draped over his face, covering his eyes. _I guess I'll have to wait to eat_. You sigh and let and your eyes flutter shut, the sound of the fire truly making you want to rest again but the sound of footsteps has you jolting up, eyes wide and looking around until they land on a figure. Yeosang. In his hand is a can of food and in the other is a cup, his steps slow as if he's afraid to scare you off. 

"Seonghwa fell asleep, I figured I'd make you some food," He says in a gentle, deep voice , finally reaching you and crouching down to place the food and drink next to you.You only nod in understanding and pick up the can of food, taking a piece of fruit out and popping it in your mouth. You don't remember the last time you ate and that one single piece tasted like heaven. Yeosang doesn't say anything and instead he watches you eat, much to your discomfort but you continue eating finishing it off before placing the can back down on the ground. A moment of silence passes but Yeosang doesn't speak, in fact, he's so silent it doesn't even seem like he's breathing. His stare feels like a laser beaming down on you , deep in your soul and you shift uncomfortably but you move too fast and your side scrapes against the wall earning a painful whimper from you.

"Are you alright?" Yeosang is quick to check your side, making sure you're comfortable again but he doesn't move away quite yet until you nod, giving him a smile but it's forced, stiff as one thought keeps crossing your mind.

"Wooyoung, is he..." Your voice trails off into the air, glancing at him and you expect him to miss your gaze but instead he meets it, his eyes so intense that it's _you_ who looks away, not being able to handle it. Your mother always told you how intense your father's eyes were; it was like staring into a pit of fire and you assume this is how she felt.

"He's alright, if that's what you're worried about," Yeosang mutters softly and you look back at him, this time keeping your gaze on him,"He's sleeping with his horse, though." You nod and push a single strand of hair behind your ear, playing with your fingers. You _hoped_ that knowing Wooyoung was alright would help ease whatever was inside of you but your mind rears to San. There were so many things going on in your head, running around and begging for answers. What had Wooyoung meant in his time of anger? _Who_ were they talking about? He talked of you as if you were just some replacement, is that what you were?

"If you keep frowning you'll get lines on your forehead," Yeosang speaks and you jump, forgetting that he was even there.

"Sorry, I'm just...thinking," You respond, sighing.

"San?" You gape at him in surprise but his expression is blank and somewhat bored though his eyes tell a different story. You open your mouth to spew out a lie but nothing comes out so you close your lips.

"Are you worried for his well-being or the answers he might have?" His words jab at you and you have nothing to say. You won't lie and say that you're worried more about the answers he might have for your questions but you find yourself worrying about him as well.

"Both, I'm worried about...both," You day and Yeosang nods in understanding before standing up and reaching his hand down for you to take it, tilting his head to the side.

"Come on, I'll take you to him, I'm sure he'll want to talk with you as well," He says in such a bland voice that he almost seems bored of the situation but you nod and he grips your outstretched hand, making sure you don't strain yourself as he helps you up. Both of you are careful to not wake anyone up but your foot slips and you accidentally make contact with Yunho's head but he doesn't wake up and instead to your surprise he just groans and turns over on his stomach, snoring once more. It's not long before both of you are out of the cave and the hot, humid air wraps around you as you both continue to walk along the damp grass and sticks. The moon is a crescent, luminescent and beautiful and for once it seems peaceful. Soon you hear the crackling of a fire and you unknowingly speed up but Yeosang grips your hand tightly and pulls you back.

"Don't wander off, it isn't safe out in the dark," He says in all seriousness and you gulp, staying behind him. Suddenly, both of you are in front of a clearly disheveled San seated on a big rock, his head hanging low and he's dangerously close to the fire. You furrow your eyebrows, Yeosang lets go of your hand and you turn to look at him but he nudges his head towards San, slowly backing away but before he leaves he opens his mouth.

"Don't let his words hit you, he's difficult." And with that he turns and leaves, his footsteps growing faint until you can't hear him anymore and it's just you and San. He doesn't speak and he's so silent that you think he's asleep but when you step forward and a branch snaps he jumps up, swiveling around and the expression that clouds over his face once he spots you makes your heart race. His eyes are downcast, swirling with so many emotions like a hurricane but there's one you can see; guilt. He chuckles sarcastically and turns back around, staring at the fire.

"Why are you out here? It's dangerous," He says hollowly, like an unfocused light but you don't say anything and walk over to him but you don't take a seat and instead stand next to him. His hair is messy and all over the place, strands falling over his forehead, the sleeves on his shirt pushed up above his elbows and you notice that his shirt is a button up, all of the buttons undone and his chest on display. If this were any other occasion you'd look away, bashful and your cheeks would be the color of tomatoes.

"I was worried about you," You say softly, a breeze blowing against you and your words make San look up at you, a laugh rumbling in his chest.

"I'm not the one who got shot." You purse your lips and crouch down until you're seating on the floor, the damp grass making you cringe but you ignore it.

"You want answers, don't you?"

"I do."

San nods and runs his fingers through his hair and sighs shakily but not looking at you just yet.

"I cant tell you everything you want to know, not yet. Wooyoung shouldn't have said what he said," San's tone gets angrier as each word he spits out makes your heart clench. Not yet?

"What-Who was he talking about?" You ask but San shakes his head,frown pulling down on your lips. You wanted to know, needed to know, especially if being bought was just some kind of plan. You could be with your mother right now, making her herb tea and getting her to bed.

"No one, don't worry about that, whatever Wooyoung said was bullshit and he's just guilty that this happened to you." You gape at San, his bluntness slapping you but it doesn't feel like the truth. San was hiding something and you didn't like it and something snapped in you.

"Why aren't you telling me the truth, San? Why do I feel like everything Wooyoung said was right?" You dont even realize that you're standing now, fists clenched. San shakes his head again but you continue on, eyes squinted.

"Am I just a replacement of some girl you bought before? You're just one of those men who buy women for the hell of it-"

"You don't know anything about me," San mutters in all but anger,"You don't know anything."

"You're right, I dont, but I deserve to know why you even decided to buy me. To take me away from my home,from my mother-"

"You think your mother told you the truth your whole life? Your mother isn't as innocent as you see her to be," San snaps, now standing, towering over you and you stumble back in hurt and confusion. _My mother?_ Now, you're angry, you hated when people spoke of your mother in a sour way and San wasn't going to be an exception, no matter what thoughts he has towards her.

"You don't know my mother, you don't know anything!" You bellow but San doesn't flinch in the slightest and instead laughs, his head tilted back and the action makes the anger in you swell even more.

"Trust me, princess, there are a lot of things you don't know. I could start with the fact that your father wasn't half the man that your mother always told you he was," San tauntingly steps towards you as you continue backwards,"Or the fact that your mother isn't half the woman she seems." Now, you're on the edge of tears, your throat constricting. Too much was happening all at once and the pain on your side is back. San notices the flash of pain on your face and he breathes deeply before reaching forward and grabbing your arm, pulling you but not too rough.

"Let's go back, Seonghwa won't like you being out here," San says softly, totally different from his tone that he previously used and you nod but you turn your gaze away from him, casting it to the ground. San begins to pull you forward and you both are off back to the cave, the moon still shining so brightly above you.

"Y/n" Your name rolls off San's tongue like velvet,"I'm sorry for what Wooyoung said. I know you want to know who she is." You don't say anything but you do look up, staring at his back.

"Everyone has a dark past, just remember that."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you for reading !!


	15. Chapter Fourteen

"Y/n? San? Why the hell were you guys out there?" Is the first thing Seonghwa asks you both as he rushes over you to, checking your side but you reassure him that you're fine, avoiding the knowing looks from Yeosang. The others aren't quite awake yet as it's still late, Yunho now sprawled out. You don't know how he's able to sleep so comfortably on the ground but you guess he's used to it. Seonghwa sighs and ushers you to go sit back down. To your disappointment, Wooyoung still isn't in the cave with the others but you don't let it bother you this time, quickly going back to your sleeping spot and slumping down. You wonder how long you guys will stay put in the cave and you don't know how much food you guys will have until it's all gone. You don't even notice that Mingi had moved from his original spot and is now next to you but he doesn't say a word, only playing with his pocket knife. Honestly, he doesn't know why he decided to move next to you. Seonghwa had asked him to keep an eye on you along with Yeosang but since when had he actually listened to Seonghwa.

You sigh and close your eyes, tired as you want nothing more than to go back to sleep but you notice the presence beside you and you swear your eyes bulge so far out of your head you think they'll fall out. _What...what was he doing next to me? The others are here so he can't exactly get away with my murder._ Your mouth open and closes like a fish out of water and Mingi notices your stare, fixating his gaze away from his knife and on you.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" He deadpans, eyes cold, his tone isnt murderous like before but he definitely gives off the 'I hate you' vibes, rolling off of him like a stench. You shake your head and look away, nervous and Mingi sighs, resting his head against the stone cold wall. He doesn't know why it's so hard to talk to you, he doesn't know why it's so hard to not act like a complete asshole to you.

"Why are you here?" You ask but you quickly widen your eyes, not meaning to sound the way you did,"I mean...I mean why are you here next to me..?" Mingi stays silent but he still stares at you, not having any words to say to you. You scan his face for any type of emotion but it's stone cold and you wonder who would win a competition; him or San. He wasn't an ugly person, in fact if he were to be back in your town he'd be a complete lady killer, including yourself. Actually, all of them would be, especially San. Why am I thinking of this?

"Seonghwa told me to keep an eye on you, so don't wander off like you did." Is the only thing Mingi says and then he slumps down and turns on his side away from you , no doubt going back to sleep. You know that's its almost the crack of dawn and you don't know when Hongjoong is going to decide to leave and you'd rather be fully rested than be half dead trying to ride on a horse. So with that, you also push yourself away from the wall just to lay down on your back, the hard floor not being too kind to your body but you ignore the uncomfortableness, closing your eyes.

_____

_"Mommy, why is daddy always gone?" The small girl asks, her fingers nimbly playing with the thread in her lap. The older woman pauses her stirring, flickering her eyes over to daughter and she doesn't know what to say. The small girl looks up as she doesn't hear her mother answer her, only to see the woman staring at her, a lost look in her but with a call of her name she snaps out of it, a dry smile on her face._

_"It's just his job, doll, he'll be back," Her mother says and turns back to the food, trying to fight back tears. The little girl scrunches her nose and stops messing with the thread._

_"Daddy hasn't been back for a week now," She all but mutters, looking towards the window as if he'd be out there but all she sees is the stars. Her mother momentarily closes her eyes but sniffs and turns back._

_"He'll be back."_

_______

You startle awake with a gasp, unshed tears in your eyes, the sun beaming from the entrance of the cave onto you. You close your eyes for another second before opening them up again, scanning the area as much as you can and you see that none of the guys are asleep. In fact, there isn't anything there, even the fire has been put out and from the looks of it, it's been out for quite some time. Panic arises in you and you quickly push the quilt off of you, pushing yourself up not caring about the faint pain on your side. You look to the right and see that Mingi isn't there either. They left me. Your breathing hitches and your hands shake, clumsily stepping over the quilt and rushing over to the cave entrance, stepping out and looking to your left. Nothing, there's nothing there. No horses, no one. Before you know it the tears that threatened to fall are now sliding down your face and chin, falling onto the floor as you desperately look around. Why would they leave me?You whimper and walk around the cave, wiping your tears when you smack right into something.

"Y/n? Y/n why are you crying?" San's voice fills you ears as you feel his hand grip at your face. You don't say anything and look up at him, his eyes sharp but full of worry. "Why are you crying?" You shake your head and put your hands up, pushing at his shoulders but he doesn't budge and only holds your face tighter, repeating his question.

"I...you guys..." You can't even finish your words but San quickly catches on to what you're trying to say, eyebrows furrowing as he mutters something angrily under his breath.

"We weren't going to leave you, Y/n, I promise," San whispers and something in your chests warms up and you nod, his eyes so dark that it's like staring into an abyss but it isn't emotionless. In fact, there are so many emotions that you have to look away. San mutters something to himself before letting go of you but he doesn't step away, only turning his head just a bit before opening his mouth.

"She's up!" You step away from the male and wipe your nose, embarrassed from crying in front of San. You've always hated crying in front of people, even in front of your own mother. But crying in front of San was so much different you had no idea why. Before you know it you see all of the guys emerge from the side of the cave on their horses. You widen your eyes as you look over all of them, your gaze stopping on Wooyoung. His face is blank and he looks nothing like he did the first day you met him and that worries you.

"Y/n! Hey!" Yunho is so loud that Hongjoong scolds him making the younger male wince but he smiles nonetheless. A sense of relief rushes through you as you look at all of their faces.

"We were scavenging around, looking for some food," Seonghwa announces, his voice soft-spoken as he stares down at you, a worried look in his eyes and you only nod in response.

"Come on, lets go," San says and grabs your hand much to surprise making you gasp but he ignores your expression and pulls you along but you notice that you only see eight horses.

"Hey-"

"You're going to be riding with me, it's not safe for you to ride on your own," San speaks and his tone of voice leaves no room for you to argue so you stay silent and bite your lip, watching San gather on his horse and he settles comfortably before reaching his hand out. You sigh and grip his hand tightly, stepping up and he pulls you onto the saddle, your arms wrapping around his waist. You press your face against his back and the first thing you notice is he's warm and it makes you press yourself closer to him if that's even possible. He smells of firewood and pine, a smell that you never thought you'd like.

"Where are we going?" You ask, hearing Hongjoong shout and you all are riding , your hair whipping around your head. San's shoulders tense but he speaks, his voice low.

_"To your father."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you for reading !!


	16. Chapter Fifteen

> _"To your father."_
> 
> You're confused, silent and your mind races. For a moment you thought he was messing with you, pulling your leg and you were expecting for him to laugh at any moment but he was completely serious and you had to grip onto the male tighter so you wouldn't fall off the horse and plant yourself to the floor. For most of your life you thought your father was dead or at least, that's what your mother had told you, but now you don't know what to believe anymore. You want to speak, want to ask them how they know your father but your mind doesn't process fast enough and your lips are sealed shut, your heart racing. It'll be okay, everything will be okay. You tell yourself repeatedly but it doesn't work and you're so nervous that you want to just yack all over the ground.
> 
> "You're crushing my bones,Y/n," San says in somewhat amusement and you mutter a small apology, releasing your tight grip but still holding on to him. Thoughts of your father invade your mind, how he would leave for days upon days, stating that his job required for him to do so. He never told you what his job was , always telling you that it was a secret. You remember bragging about the fact that he was a spy to Annabeth but now that you're older you realize that everything had been a lie. Were you really ready to see your father? To see his face after so many years? You sigh and close your eyes, trying not to cry even though you so badly wanted to. Did your mother know he was alive? Or did she just feed you lies.
> 
> "Y/n," San murmurs your name softly breaking you out of your thoughts, moving his elbows to shake you a bit,"Can I ask you something?" You furrow your eyebrows and open your eyes noticing that the scenery has changed. There are still caves and canyons and cacti but the more you move up the more you start to see trees and bushes that are decorated with the most prettiest yellow flowers you've seen.
> 
> "Did you know what your father's occupation was?" San's question throws you off guard but you only clear your throat and shake your head but then you remember he can't see you.
> 
> "Uh, no, I didn't, he never told me," You murmur,"I always thought he was a spy." San's shoulders shake just a bit at your comment, more than likely laughing but he shakes his head and looks over his shoulder at you.
> 
> "Your father was definitely not a spy, the only spy feature about him was his talent at keeping secrets," San says in such a deadpan voice that you're not even sure he was laughing. You don't know how to respond to that so you don't, hoping that San won't say anything either and he doesn't, turning back fully to the front.
> 
> "We'll be there soon!" Hongjoong announces from the very font of the group and you swear you hear Yunho curse under his breath. Was your father that bad of a person or did they just not like him? But they couldn't possibly know him, could they? It grows silent once again and the only sound you hear is the crunch of the ground beneath the horses, branches snapping. It's beautiful out, you've never seen so many trees like this in your life, the sun making crystals on the leaves. Soon, you all are slowing down to a stop and you swear that your heart does the same. You peek over San's shoulder to see a small cabin in the distance hidden away by massive trees. It looks to be smaller than your cabin back at home and you can't help but notice that there isn't a horse nearby. Weird.
> 
> San gets off the horse following suit of the others and he fixes his shirt before turning to you and reaching his hands out. You blink at him once, twice before swinging your legs over and clasping your hands onto his, allowing him to pull you down from the horse and you except to land gracefully on your feet but your left foot moves a certain way and if San weren't there you would've fallen face first but he grips your hands tighter and moves to the right, allowing you to stumble against his chest.
> 
> "Jesus, Y/n you're afly at falling on your ass," San mutters and you cringe, your face warm with embarrassment and you don't know if it'd because you fell on him or the fact thay you're so close to him you can feel his breath fan against your face.
> 
> "San is getting a lil' close with Y/n, aye?" Yunho whistles to which you puff out your cheeks, pulling away from San who throws up a finger at the older male. You brush off the nonexistent dirt off your clothes and look around catching Wooyoung's eyes on you. His face is void of any emotion, his hands to his side and for just a moment you can see a sliver of a smile on his face but then it twinges into a frown and he looks away from you making your heart drop.
> 
> "Y/n, come on," San speaks up and you let your stare linger on Wooyoung for a moment longer before turning to San, nodding your head. He surprises you when he takes your hand in his and pulls you along. You don't have to look at Yunho to know that he has a smirk on his face. You all walk towards the cabin and the closer you get the faster your heart runs and you know that your palms are sweaty.
> 
> A few more steps and the door to the cabin was right in front of your face, taunting you to open it and face your father. But you can't, you're scared to and before you could swivel around and go back to the horse San grabs you and pushes you back to the door.
> 
> "It's fine, Y/n, open it," He whispers and that seems to be all the reassurance you need as you move forward and grab the handle of the door, turning it slowly and pushing it open. The first thing you see is a big rocking chair pushed to the side of the fireplace that sits in the middle of the room, a big fur blanket wrapped around the chair. The wood in the fireplace looks old and gray like it hadn't been used in a long time. In fact, you can clearly see dust wrap around the wood like a blanket. You can see a bow laying against the chair but no arrows.
> 
> You furrow your eyebrows and step inside, the floorboards creaking beneath your feet as you look around. It's completely silent in the cabin and you wonder if there's anyone in here at all. Did they lie to you? Before you could speak your concern you hear footsteps behind you and Hongjoong's voice.
> 
> "This is where your father used to stay," He says in a troubled voice,"Where we found him." Found him?
> 
> "Why...why was he here? How do you know this
> 
> place?" Hongjoong doesn't reply and wanders around the small area running his fingers along the wall and collecting dust on them, wiping them on his shirt.
> 
> "The comanche were never a real threat to us, more like a neutral stance with each other," He continues, his tone hard and clipped, "We even used to make deals with some of them." You stay silent watching the others pile in the cabin.
> 
> "In fact, I distinctly remember making a deal with your father one time, one that I guess he couldn't keep." Now you're confused, lost and you have nothing to say. Your father made a deal with them? Is that another reason why San bought me, because he already knew me?
> 
> "If he continued to keep his tribe away from us San would make sure nothing would happen to you or your mother back at home." You're sure your eyes are out of your head now. Your father did that? You don't know to feel ; sad that your father had left you or your mother or somewhat comforted that all eight of them had managed to make sure nothing happened to you and your mother. That's why San had helped you. But why was Mingi so against me coming with them? But there's something that you still want to know, something that's been bothering you.
> 
> "What happened to him?" You ask and Hongjoong falters for a moment, glancing at the others but then looks back at you, a grim look on his face. You're scared of his answer but you want to know , no , you need to.
> 
> "We killed him."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you for reading !


	17. Chapter Sixteen

It feels like a giant boulder was thrown on you and your words stuck in your throat, your eyes burning with unshed tears. _They killed my father?_ You don't know why but it's like your eyes are drawn to San like a magnet and you expect for him to look at least somewhat guilty or sympathetic but he's the opposite. His usual stone cold poker face is on and he's not even fully looking at you. You look back at Hongjoong, wanting him to start laughing or something.

"This is some kind joke, right?" Your voice trembles, shaky and you didn't even realize you were crying until you feel a smooth tear fall from your chin. You're waiting for a ' _Yes, this is a joke and your father is just out'_ but that doesn't come and you're only offered blank faces and cold stares. Something slams in your chest, your blood pounding in your eyes and your heart thudding. You couldn't see correctly, your vision disfigured as if you were looking through a fish lens.

"We did what we needed to do, Y/n," San speaks up quickly upon realizing that you were on the verge of a panic attack. But his words don't comfort you, in fact it seems to make your well being even worse making San purse his lips. He doesn't know how to help or comfort you but he didn't want to lie to you either. Your lips are dry and your throat is constricted but you want answers. For everything.

"Why...." You clear your throat and push a stray piece of hair behind your ear,"How did you meet my father? When?" Hongjoong sighs and cracks his neck subtly before moving to sit in the rocking chair, spreading his legs out in a comfortable position, sliding down the chair just a bit, his face calm as if none of this was bothering him. _That's because it isn't, he's a murderer._

"Your father wasn't a saint, he was far from it, actually," Hongjoong says cooly, folding his hands behind his head with his narrowed eyes on you. It's like he took a knife and jabbed it in your heart. You barely knew your father or better yet, your barely remember him but it didn't feel right for someone to insult him in front of your face.

"You arent one either." You don't know where your boldness came from and you regret spitting out those words because the way Hongjoong's eyes darken is frightening, his once calm state now contorted to anger. His eyebrows furrow together and he moves to push himself up but stops himself.

"We never said we were, Y/n," Seonghwa is the one to speak now but his voice doesn't hold any anger like you expected it to, instead it sounds like he's speaking with a child and that angers you but you push back the snarky comment that tries crawl out of your mouth and only narrow your eyes. You cast your gaze away from the older male and scuff your feet against the floorboards. A small voice in your mind is telling you to try and make a run for it but the smarter voice is telling you not to, you could easily get taken down by them and even if you managed to make it out, where would you go? You inhale a sharp breath and divert your eyes to the one person who you want to hear from who isn't even looking at you anymore; San.

"You never answered my questions. How did you meet him? When?"

"We don't need to answer your every question, Y/n. We don't owe you anything, after we killed your father we could've left you in the hands of that old ass pervert back at home," Hongjoong deadpans and it feels like a bunch of knives stabbing you in your heart,"We only took you with us because San is as soft as a feather." The said male makes a face at Hongjoong's words but doesn't say anything, only running a hand through his hair.

"Fine, you're right, you don't have to tell me anything. But can you tell me one thing?" You almost cringe at how pathetic you sound, begging for answers but this is the first time someone has actually spoken the truth to you,"Why did you kill him? What did he do?" There's a pregnant pause for a moment and the air around you drops to a much cooler breeze if that's even possible. Or maybe it's because your blood runs cold at the look of sheer anger on Hongjoong's face that seems to contort on all the others as well. _Something tells me_  
 _I shouldn't have asked that..._ But it's too late to reel in your curiousness because this time it's Mingi who speaks up much to your surprise, his voice deep and monotone but you can _feel_ the fury laced in.

"He killed one of our own," Mingi says and his eyes are staring down at you, literally, and if looks could kill you'd be in your grave by now,"His name was Junyou-"

"That's enough!" Hongjoong booms and you can feel the hair on your arms raise up. You can tell that the person they were speaking of was important to them as you can see Yeosang's lips curl down in a frown from the corner of your eye. For some reason you feel _guilty_ for what your father had done, though you hadn't even known your father was involved with the bandits until now.

"I'm sorr-"

"We don't need your apologies, Y/n, it's over now," Seonghwa solemnly speaks and you nod your head, chewing on your cheek as you cast your eyes down.

"Now that you know the truth, we can give you some options,"Hongjoong says and you hear the rocking chair squeak and before you know it he's in front of you, his finger moving to your chin as he makes you look at him,"You can either stay here in your father's cabin, make a living on your own and not worry about running around with a bunch of _criminals..._ or you can stay with us. But once you make your decision it's a done deal." His tone is icy and steel and you visibly gulp. If you stay here you don't have to worry about getting shot at or getting taken by the law, you can be at peace with everything but have no protection. Or you could go with them and live the life of a criminal, ducking between saloons in fear of getting shot at.

Hongjoong huffs, impatient and still angry as you can tell and you lick your bottom lip before nodding.

"I'll stay with you."


	18. Chapter Seventeen

If you could use one word to describe how you were feeling you would say _scorching._ If you had known the weather was going to be this indecent you would've stayed back at your father's cabin. It's been a month or so since you've learned the truth and although you find yourself growing furious at the thought of the guys doing that to your father, you remember that he had killed one of their own and for some strange reason you feel _guilt_.

Wooyoung has barely spoken a word to you, if none at all. The only words he spoke to you in the past two weeks were _"Here's some food."_ You had barely known Wooyoung but the way he was acting towards you was hurtful. After that night at the town he's been treating you like you weren't even there. You wish you could gather up the courage to confront him but it seemed like every time you tried to, your throat would constrict and you'd coward away. Your relationship with Yunho and surprisingly, Yeosang, has grown. Yunho strangely reminded you of Annabeth; both of them goofy and strangely like the sun. You don't know how many times you've busted a lung from one of Yunho's jokes (of which Jongho calls lame). Your friendship with Yeosang is what you'd call ... strange. Hes blunt and somewhat cold, and if he hadn't spoken to you that night in the cave you'd think that he'd have no voice at all. But strangely enough, he was kind and decent towards you, always making sure you got food and had something to sleep on whenever the group would stop somewhere.

San and you have been getting closer as well. Hes shared stories of his childhood with you and how he used to sing with his older sister at a local church with his family and in return, you told him about how you and your mother would knit together in your cottage, talking about nonsense. He never brought up the mysterious girl from his past to you, not even once and it still racks around your brain. She was obviously special to him, special enough to where he went out of his way to _buy_ you. You want to ask him but you don't want to overstep your boundaries so you keep yourself at bay.

"Y/n!" A voice shakes you out of your thoughts and nearly throws you off your horse, Malory. Seonghwa had managed to buy her off a farmer from a town you all had stopped 2 weeks ago and it's safe to say that you'd die for the animal. She's a beautiful caramel color, white spots decorating her, her tail a beautiful pearl color.

"Yes?" You reply and turn your head towards the direction the voice came from and to your surprise it's Hongjoong. You and him weren't exactly on friendly terms, more like ' _If you stay away_  
 _from me, I'll stay away from you_ ' kind of deal.

"I need you and Yeosang to go and look around for somewhere to camp for the night," Hongjoong says, his gaze on yours almost bored as he gives the same look to Yeosang but gives him a small nod.

"Why cant I go with her!" Yunho whines almost childlike and you don't try to stop the smile that crawls on your face.

"Yunho, I need you and San to try and scavenge up some dinner for tonight," Hongjoong sharply looks at Yunho and he heaves a sigh, mumbling under his breath and you swear you see the older male smile but he quickly wipes it away and nods before turning back to the front. From the corner of your eye you see Yeosang maneuver his horse to the side and you do the same, following right behind him. It's bright green all around you, trees encircling you both as you try to not to knock yourself out by dangling branches. Yeosang doesn't bother to try and make conversation and you're somewhat relieved for that, wanting to just spend your time in silence.

You find yourself getting lost in your thoughts while Yeosang continues on forward looking for a place to sleep tonight. To anyone else, the scenery in front of you would look like a regular forest, dead grass and leaves on the ground but you've never seen anything like it before. Back at your hometown , it's like a dust bowl and you were lucky if you saw even a patch of grass.

"It looks like a cabin up ahead, I don't see any horses," Yeosang announces from up ahead and you widen your eyes upon seeing how far behind you are, clicking your tongue and moving forward.

"Do you think anyone lives there?" You question, squinting your eyes trying to spot any signs of life but the only you see is the cabin which is caked in vines and bushes surrounding it. It looks to be abandoned but you don't want to risk it and neither does Yeosang.

"I'll go and check inside, you stay here." He demands and before you could even nod he hops off his horse and silently stalks towards the cabin, your eyes following him. He struggles to open the wooden door before finally succeeding, walking in the cabin and out of your sight.

A few minutes pass by before the door opens, Yeosang walking out, his face bland like always and he takes a few moments to get back on his horse before speaking.

"It's completely abandoned, but it's safe to stay here for a night or two," He announces and you find yourself smiling, happy that you're going to finally sleep under a roof rather than a tree. You both turn your horses around and head back to the group, silence falling upon you once again.

"You know, San isn't one to easily  
open up to people." Yeosang's words confuse you, a frown curling on your lips but before you can question him, he keeps talking,"It took him almost a year before he told me about his childhood."

"...." You dont know what to say and the male senses it, continuing to talk.

"You want to know who his beloved was, dont you? I would too if I were you." That sentence alone makes your heart drop and you click your tongue, stopping the horse as you stare at the back of Yeosang's head.

"Who was she? What does she have to do with me?" You fire away and Yeosang also stops his horse, turning around to face you. His face is still bland and dead as ever but his eyes tell a different story and you want to hear it.

"Its not my story to tell, Y/n. But what I can tell you is that he meant a lot to her, I know she did. And that's why when she passed, a part of him did too," Yeosang says solemnly and you feel your heart crack. You feel sorry for San and for what hes lost but there's something that lingers in Yeosang's tone of voice and you can't help but question it.

"Do you... do you know how she passed?" You feel almost _sick_ for asking such a question and you shake your head just as quickly but Yeosang answers you anyways.

"She was killed but I don't know by who, that's all I have." And with that he gives you one last look before turning his horse back around and moving forward, not bothering to check if you were following. You follow after him but what he said is now running across your mind. You knew it was wrong to have this thought, but you couldn't help but to. _Why did you feel as if San had something to do with her passing?_

"Y/n! Hurry up, I don't want San to rip my head off if he sees I left you in the forest!" Yeosang calls after you and you click your tongue, quickly trying to catch up, your heart racing as you think about going back to the group and San.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading !! Make sure to comment :D


End file.
